Towhid strengthens his stake

After his brilliant 92 on his One-Day International debut, Towhid Hridoy once again shined on Monday as he strengthened his stake to keep his place in the XI.

Alike Saturday, the 22-year-old missed out on a milestone on Monday as he got out on 49 but the innings spoke about his ability, and more so about his intent.

The youngster got into the team because the management decided to test out the waters beyond the set XI and rest Mahmudullah Riyad. And it has been said that the veteran will be back.

However, Towhid’s performances leave that statement to be questioned as he is yet to put a foot wrong in his ODI career.

On Monday, he scored 49 runs off 34 balls, scoring with a strike rate of 144.11. He played exactly the innings Bangladesh needed from their number five as they were aiming at a big total and especially after the platform Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto had set.

His partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim was a delight to watch as the duo put together 128 runs off just 78 balls, making it the stand with the highest run rate when the runs amassed trotted on to triple figures.

Towhid was proactive from the very start, scoring quickly and reaching 20 off 23 balls. From there, he played 11 balls more, where there were none that did not produce a run, and he thus ended up scoring 49.

He was unlucky to miss out on a second fifty on the trot but he showed what he can do. Despite a senior statesman breathing on his neck for the position he is playing in, the youngster showed no nerves and displayed his natural game, something Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe wanted to see ahead of the series.

While it is guaranteed for now that Mahmudullah will come back to the XI in the next series, the question now changes to what will happen if Towhid finds runs in the final ODI too.

The youngster’s approach and attitude reek of the modernity the current ODI scenario requires, and whether Bangladesh would want to discard that for the struggling experience of Mahmudullah is now a genuine topic of discussion.

The answers will come in time. For now, all Towhid can do is score runs and keep asking those questions.