Towhid Hridoy produced a remarkable rearguard effort, smashing an unbeaten 242 - the highest individual score in Tests by a Bangladesh batter - to lift his side from the brink being in a substantial deficit to a 30-run lead on the third day of the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet. Reduced to 184 for 7 shortly before Lunch, Bangladesh looked set to fall well behind the visitors' total. However, Hridoy orchestrated a stunning recovery, adding 202 runs with the last three wickets to take the hosts to 386.

In an innings that rewrote the Bangladesh record books, Hridoy became only the fourth batter from the country to register a Test double-century, joining Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. He also struck 11 sixes, just one short of the world record shared by Wasim Akram and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

In an innings of great contrasts, Hridoy was on 29 off 80 at the start of the day's play. But by Lunch, he had reached his hundred and shifted into an even higher gear in the second session. With the innings increasingly dependent on his contribution, he prioritised boundary-hitting and strike retention.

The assault gathered momentum against Roston Chase, whom Hridoy first cleared the ropes over square leg before launching two more sixes in the spinner's following over. An upper-cut off Shamar Joseph had earlier signalled his intentions, while Taijul provided valuable support at the other end.

The introduction of the second new ball did little to change the course of the innings. Taijul immediately put pressure back on the West Indies attack with boundaries off Jayden Seales and Joseph. Hridoy then joined in, taking Seales for a four and a six in the same over before bringing up his 150 with a wristy flick off Joseph. Two more boundaries followed against the pacer in the next over.

At 172, Hridoy went past Mahmudul Hasan Joy's 171 against Ireland to register the highest individual Test score at Sylhet. He continued to find the boundary, adding a six and a four before the eighth-wicket stand was broken. The impressive Warrican had Taijul stumped for 22, bringing an end to a 117-run partnership that had proved crucial to Bangladesh's recovery. Taijul's contribution, beyond the runs, included facing 56 deliveries and allowing Hridoy to dictate the scoring.

Hridoy resumed the charge after the break and brought up his double-century in the fourth over of the final session, taking a single off Warrican. He then moved past Tamim's record for the most sixes in a single Test innings by a Bangladesh batter, depositing Bishop over the ropes for his eighth maximum.

There was little respite for the West Indies bowlers thereafter. Hridoy found the boundary against Warrican in three successive overs before launching Bishop down the ground. Chase bore the brunt of the next assault, conceding two more sixes, the first through a slog sweep and the second with a clean strike straight down the ground, taking Hridoy's tally to 11.

Taskin, who had offered steadfast support throughout the stand, eventually fell to a top-edged pull off Seales, caught at fine leg. His dismissal brought Bangladesh's innings to a close at 386, with Hridoy unbeaten on a monumental 242.

The scale of Bangladesh's recovery was in stark contrast to how the morning had unfolded. West Indies had made significant inroads, with Warrican dismissing Mushfiqur and Litton Das in successive overs, both caught at cover. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was then dismissed by a sharp piece of fielding from Justin Greaves, who moved across from slip to complete the catch after the batter attempted a paddle sweep.

Warrican struck again to remove Hasan Mahmud for 1, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 184 for 7 and seemingly staring at a sizeable deficit. What followed, however, was an extraordinary lower-order revival led by Hridoy, which not only erased the West Indies advantage but gave Bangladesh a first-innings lead heading into the next phase of the contest.

Brief scores: West Indies 356 & 7/0 trail Bangladesh 386 (Towhid Hridoy 242*, Mushfiqur Rahim 34; Jomel Warrican 4-104) by 23 runs