'If we start well, even 350 can be chased': Towhid Hridoy
Towhid Hridoy believes Bangladesh can chase a target of around 350 runs on the final day of the Sylhet Test. In his view, the wicket is still good for batting, but a big chase on the fifth day will need a good start.
At the end of the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, the visitors have taken a lead of 315 runs.
In reply to Bangladesh's 386 in the first innings, the West Indies scored 356. Trailing by 30 runs, they went in to bat in the second innings and finished the day on 345 for three, and their lead is set to grow further on the final day.
Speaking to the media after the day's play on Sunday, Towhid Hridoy said, 'The wicket is still good for batting. But this is red-ball cricket. If we can make a good start, I think chasing the runs is possible. We will have to plan after seeing what target they set us tomorrow.'
He believes that if the first few wickets can be kept intact, even a difficult target can come within reach.
Hridoy himself was the biggest gain from Bangladesh's first-innings batting. Holding one end in a difficult time for the team, he played an unbeaten innings of 242 runs, and on the strength of his batting Bangladesh took a 30-run lead over the West Indies' first innings.
But in the second innings, the determination of the Caribbean batters has once again put the match under the visitors' control.
Hridoy does not consider a target of 350 on the fifth day of the Test impossible, but he gives the greatest importance to the start of the batting. In his words, '350 looks like a chaseable target to me. But as I keep saying, the start is very important. If we can start well, something good is possible.'
Hridoy added, 'Of course tomorrow is a very important day. But not only tomorrow — every day is important. We will try to do something good.'
Bangladesh's record for the highest successful run chase in Test cricket is 215 runs. In 2009, Bangladesh crossed that target against this same West Indies side at Kingston to win. Now in Sylhet, the hosts face the challenge of going past that record.
How many runs the West Indies set on the final day will decide Bangladesh's plan, Hridoy indicated.
