How Towhid Hridoy went from 54 Test runs to a record 242

Towhid Hridoy has called his unbeaten 242 against West Indies at Sylhet a dream come true, and the reaction in Bangladesh has matched him, with the innings hailed as historic and record-breaking. What sets it apart is the batter who made it. Hridoy came into the second Test with 54 runs from his first four Test innings, a batting average of 13.5 against 33.51 for top-seven batters in men's Tests over the last two years.

His best in those four innings was 42, and he had yet to reach fifty. At Sylhet he turned that into a maiden Test double century, with reports counting six records broken along the way.

How the series stood before Sylhet

The first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium went against Bangladesh. Hridoy made 42 from 86 balls in the first innings, when Bangladesh reached 272 and West Indies replied with 245. In the second innings he was out for a two-ball duck, Bangladesh were all out for 142, and West Indies reached 170 for 2 to win by eight wickets.

That result took West Indies to 12 wins against Bangladesh's five in 18 Tests between the sides since 2009. If you were Hridoy, you went to Sylhet with Bangladesh a Test down and needing runs from somewhere.

A record score in a close Test

Reports have him breaking Bangladesh's Test runs record at 220, and he was still unbeaten on 242 when Bangladesh took a first-innings lead on the third day. Our ratings made Bangladesh 47% to win at Sylhet before the match, with West Indies on 34%, so his runs have handed the first-innings lead to the side in a contest rated as close.

The attack he faced was a fair test. Our ratings put West Indies eighth of 11 men's Test sides, one place above Bangladesh, and between two sides that closely matched, one long innings has tipped the balance of the first innings.

Where does Hridoy's 242 rank for Bangladesh?

It ranks first. By the reports' count, no Bangladesh batter has made a bigger Test score, and Hridoy made his with four modest Test innings behind him, a Test down in the series, against the side that has had the better of Bangladesh for years. Size alone would put it at the top of the list, and the circumstances make it hard to argue with.

Hridoy has given the selectors every reason to keep him in the Test side. The Tests after Sylhet will show whether 242 marks the start of a proper Test career or stands as a single great day.