Hridoy's maiden Test century amid the ruins

In September, Towhid Hridoy became the first Bangladeshi batter to score three hundred and fifty runs in first-class cricket. After that innings on South African soil, the possibility arose of bringing him into international Test cricket as well.

Playing his third Test for the national team, Hridoy watched teammates come and go, then shouldered the responsibility alone and scored his maiden century.

He reached the century standing amid the ruins in the second Test against the West Indies in Sylhet.

Earlier, Bangladesh had ended the second day in deep batting discomfort. In reply to the visiting Caribbean side's first-innings total of 356, the hosts finished day two on 88 for 3 in their first innings.

That left Bangladesh still 268 runs behind in the first innings. But in the final part of the day, an unbroken 37-run partnership between Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim saved the team from a bigger disaster and brought some relief.

The West Indies had begun Friday's play on 235 for 4. Hasan Mahmud gave the hosts their first success with the second new ball.

After bowling the previous day's unbeaten centurion Amir Jangoo (133), he sent Roston Chase back with the very next ball.

He then had Joshua Bishop stumped by wicketkeeper Liton Das for 23, completing a five-wicket haul for the fifth time in his Test career.

In doing so, he broke former pacer Shahadat Hossain's record of four and set the record for the most five-wicket hauls by a Bangladeshi pacer in Tests.

He also became, after Nathan Lyon, only the second bowler in the world to take his first five five-wicket hauls against five different countries, and the first Bangladeshi pacer to take a wicket via a stumping in Tests.

After lunch, Hasan bowled Shamar Joseph to complete six wickets in the innings for the second time. After Warrican and Jayden Seales added 33 for the last wicket, Miraz trapped Seales leg-before to wrap up the Caribbean innings at 356.

Hasan alone took 6 wickets for 90 runs; Taskin and Miraz took two wickets each, while Taijul and Naim went wicketless.

In reply, Bangladesh suffered a big blow at the start of their first innings. With regular opener Shadman Islam unable to take the field due to injury, spinner Naim Hasan opened for the first time in his career, but he could not make it count and was caught in the slips off Jayden Seales for just 5.

The other opener, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, also did not last long; driving down the wicket off Justin Greaves, he was dismissed for 16 by a superb catch from Kevin Wickham.

After losing both openers for just 22 runs, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto tried to mount some resistance but was bowled for 18 by a 141 km/h inswinger from Shamar Joseph. Bangladesh were in deep batting trouble at 51 for 3.

Coming in at number four, Towhid Hridoy began the fight alongside the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim. At one stage, Hridoy survived after lofting a catch off Jomel Warrican, and the Caribbean spinner injured his finger trying to take the catch.

At the other end, Mushfiq also survived a strong leg-before appeal thanks to the umpire's call. Bangladesh left the field at the end of the day on 88 for 3 in 40 overs, with Hridoy unbeaten on 29 and Mushfiq on 19.

Continuing that fight, Hridoy went on to score his maiden century in his third Test.