The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has included middle-order batter Tawhid Hridoy in the national Test squad for the upcoming one-off match against Afghanistan, set to begin on 9 October in the United Arab Emirates.
Hridoy earned his recall off the back of a historic performance for Bangladesh ‘A’ during their red-ball tour of South Africa. In the second four-day fixture against South Africa ‘A’ in Potchefstroom, the 23-year-old right-hander delivered a batting masterclass, scoring an undefeated 350 runs off 481 deliveries. His marathon effort featured 27 boundaries and 10 towering sixes.
The innings saw Hridoy claim the record for the highest individual score in Bangladeshi first-class cricket history, surpassing Tamim Iqbal’s landmark knock of 334. Beyond domestic boundaries, the achievement broke a 76-year-old record in South Africa for the highest individual first-class score by any visiting batsman, eclipsing English legend Denis Compton’s 300 runs scored in 1948.
Driven by Hridoy’s epic contribution, Bangladesh ‘A’ amassed a formidable first-innings total of 676 for 8 before declaring. South Africa ‘A’ responded with 512, leading to a high-scoring draw. Despite the impressive display in the second match, the host side claimed the two-match series 1-0 after handing Bangladesh ‘A’ a crushing defeat by an innings and 413 runs in the opening fixture.
The international return represents a pivotal moment for Hridoy. Having made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in June, he struggled to adapt to the longest format, scoring just 12 runs across both innings. That disappointing outing resulted in his exclusion from the subsequent Test tour of Australia. However, his extraordinary resilience and willingness to bat for long periods in Potchefstroom forced his way back into national contention.
The upcoming match poses a fresh structural challenge for the national side. Playing in UAE conditions presents unfamiliar territory for Bangladesh in red-ball cricket, where adapting to neutral spin-friendly surfaces against Afghanistan’s bowling attack will test the squad’s tactical depth. The solitary Test will run from 9 to 13 October, followed by a tri-nation One Day International series featuring Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.
For Hridoy, the fixture represents an immediate opportunity to convert his staggering first-class form into sustained performance on the international stage. Rejoining the dressing room with renewed confidence, all eyes will be on whether the young batter can anchor Bangladesh’s middle order in the long format.