At 184 for 7 in response to West Indies' 356, Bangladesh and Towhid Hridoy had little choice but to counterattack and when they did records were broken. The game has moved on since and the visitors are back in control of the Sylhet Test but it was still a stunning performance.
Hridoy made 242 not out, the highest score by a Bangladesh batter. He struck 11 sixes in his innings, just one short of the Test record. He achieved this while batting with the lower order, adding 202 runs alongside Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed for the final two partnerships. The loss of Shadman Islam to an ankle injury earlier in the Test match seemed like a big miss when it happened but Hridoy compensated for it and somehow even took his team into the lead. It should quieten the criticism the white-ball specialist has faced for playing too many shots.
"It's not necessarily always about playing an attacking game; rather, I try to play in whatever way the situation demands," Hridoy, who was too unwell to speak to the media after the third day's play, said on Sunday. "If the situation calls for an aggressive approach, then I will attack. In my view, there are times when you simply cannot get out of a difficult spot without launching a counterattack. Before an opponent can fully dominate, I believe we should also look to counterattack. That's my perspective, and that's why I prefer to play that way."
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Having come into the Sylhet Test with only one innings in double-figures, and seeing his team slip further and further into trouble, Hridoy said he focused on just fighting as hard as he could.
"Alhamdulillah. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to Allah for allowing me to contribute to the team," he said. "It was simply meant to be. It was in my rizq (blessing). I wasn't thinking about surpassing anyone or what the outcome might be.
"In that situation, my only focus was to fight as hard as I could to put the team in a strong position. I had settled in, it was a good day for me, and I was connecting well with the ball. I just tried to contribute as much as I possibly could for the team."
Hridoy also paid tribute to Taijul and Taskin for standing by him. "As a set batter, I always tried to extract as much as I could from them, whether through a few words of advice or by sharing a couple of tactical plans. At the same time, I must say that the way they batted was outstanding. It is largely thanks to them that the team has come this far.
"The way they handled the pressure - it was a tremendous effort from both Taijul and Taskin. We already know that both of them are quite capable with the bat. In Test cricket, there are times when the pressure to score runs isn't as intense; they utilised that situation by sticking to the plan."
Hridoy explained that he initially tried to shield the two lower-order batters from facing too many deliveries before allowing them to settle into their innings. "I tried to ensure they didn't have to face too many deliveries. This is crucial because the first few balls are always the most important. My plan was to shield them from as many deliveries as possible, hoping that by watching me bat, they would get their eyes in.
"Often, just watching the ball helps a batter settle in and find their rhythm," Hridoy said. "That was the plan. As it turned out, their defensive technique was excellent, which is why they managed to survive on this wicket for so long. Ultimately, you have to trust your partner. If you don't, how can you move forward? That's what I focused on - maintaining faith in them and pushing ahead as far as we could."
Hridoy added that West Indies' field placements towards the latter part of his innings made life difficult for him, but he took it as a challenge and responded with several aerial shots.
"The situation demanded that I contribute as much as I could for the team. At times, they adjusted their field set-up, packing one side of the field - that's something that happens in Test cricket. That's precisely why Test cricket is so unique. They tried various approaches; sometimes, the field set-up forces a batter to play towards a specific side. I simply tried to execute the plans we had put in place," he said.
It is an interesting time in Hridoy's international career. He had played 115 international matches since making his debut in 2023 before earning his Test debut. The move to Test cricket was suggested to him by chief selector Habibul Bashar, who had also encouraged Tanzid Hasan to make the switch from white-ball to red-ball cricket earlier this year.
Hridoy said he was keen to go with the flow, focusing primarily on his preparation for the different formats.
"I view it positively," he said. "Whatever is destined for me will happen. In the past, I might have worried a lot about what might or might not unfold, but honestly, those kinds of thoughts don't cross my mind anymore. Everything is already mapped out. My focus is whether I am training the right way and putting in the hard work. To me, that is the highest priority."