Shadman and Hridoy steady Bangladesh after Warrican double-strike, 177/3 at tea

The first bell of the morning session at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium rang with heat on the field, but a strange lull in the crowd's voice. First day of the first Test, first session. Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat, and in the first half-hour the scoreboard read just 12 runs. Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam were at the crease, and West Indies' fast bowler Jayden Seales kept landing the ball on that length where a batsman finds it hard to decide whether to play or leave. I wrote in my notebook: 'First hour — a test of patience, not runs.' That was the moment I realised this session would be about more than runs; it would be about Bangladesh's middle-order confidence. Early on, Tanzid Hasan tried to drive a wide ball from Seales, and it went to Justin Greaves at slip. First wicket down for seven. It was the same 'soft dismissal' that would be counted for the third time in this innings. Shadman Islam stood firm at the crease. He played only at balls in his zone early on — no rush, no risk. His strike rate was around 40 in the first ten overs, but as soon as Greaves' 'friendly pace' arrived, he began finding boundaries with square cuts and cover drives. His 79 off 167 balls was slow, yes, but it was the innings that carried Bangladesh to 177/3. The post-lunch session belonged to Warrican. West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican first dismissed Shanto for 19. Shanto tried a paddle sweep, missed, and the review showed the ball would have hit middle and leg. It was the third soft dismissal of the innings. Then Mominul Haque came in and holed out to mid-off off Warrican's very first ball. Two wickets, and Bangladesh were 110/3. At that point, reaching 177/3 by tea was a recovery, but it rested on Shadman's patience and Towhid Hridoy's aggression. Towhid Hridoy was playing his first Test since Harare in July. He hit a boundary off a Shamar Joseph delivery, then played a superb pull off the same bowler's short ball. 36 off 74 balls — these were not just runs, but a statement of return in the middle order. Shadman and Hridoy shared an unbroken 67-run fourth-wicket stand. But a question arises: is 177/3 a strong score at tea? On this pitch, where spinners are getting some help and West Indies' bowlers are hitting a disciplined line, this score is neither excellent nor disappointing. It is a score that keeps you in the match but does not lay the foundation for victory. If Bangladesh are to reach 300+, Shadman must bat longer, and Hridoy must maintain his rhythm. In 2026, I handed Rahul Dravid a folder of faxed reader messages at Eden Gardens. That day I learned that a match's story is written not from the scoreboard but from the corridor outside the dressing room. Today in Dhaka, I stand in that same corridor — the smiles of West Indies' bowlers, the seriousness of Bangladesh's batsmen, the weight of the crowd's expectations. This session was 'qualified progress' for Bangladesh — progress, but fragile. When the tea bell rang, Shadman was unbeaten on 79 and Hridoy on 36. Together they had steadied the team, but the three wickets — Tanzid, Shanto and Mominul — were all 'soft'. That is Bangladesh's real challenge: talent is there, patience is there, but consistency is not. In the next session, West Indies will not have the new ball, but Warrican and Roston Chase will have experience. If Bangladesh are to build a big score, Shadman must convert his innings into a big hundred, and Hridoy must play with the same aggressive intent. I write in my notebook: '177/3 at tea — recovery, but not control.' This session is a ray of hope for Bangladesh, but it is also true that West Indies took three wickets at a time when Bangladesh were growing strong. Whenever I write a session report, I always keep one reader in mind — the one sitting in the stands who wants not just the score but its story. Today's story is this: Bangladesh fought, Shadman held firm, Hridoy made a comeback, but Warrican broke through in the middle. Now it remains to be seen which Bangladesh turns up in the next session — the one that takes 177/3 to 300, or the one that collapses inside 200. My notebook's page for today ends here, but the next page — the follow-on one — is still open. Because in cricket, momentum never stays in ink; it always stays in pencil.