SPORTS REPORTER

Tawhid Hridoy headlined an action-packed, high-scoring day in the Dhaka Premier League yesterday, with the Mohammedan Sporting Club skipper smashing his fifth List A century to keep his side atop the table.

The right-hander smashed a 106-ball 101 which powered Mohammedan to a 107-run win over Legends of Rupganj at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Last season, Hridoy came under fire for controversial remarks about umpiring that led to sanctions. But a more composed cricketer appears to have emerged from that episode, with his latest century lifting him to second on the DPL’s run-scorers’ chart.

Batting at No. 3, Hridoy has found a natural rhythm despite largely being confined to a middle-order role, usually at No. 5, for Bangladesh.

In the DPL this season, he has amassed 427 runs at an average of 71 and a strike rate of 117.3.

With the ODI series against Australia beginning in Mirpur on June 9 and similar sporting surfaces expected, Bangladesh will hope one of their key middle-order batters can carry that form into international cricket.

This was no routine DPL run-fest against an ordinary attack. Hridoy’s ton came against a Rupganj bowling unit featuring Bangladesh pacers Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud, alongside a formidable spin trio of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed.

Bangladesh’s middle order has struggled for consistency in ODIs, with even Litton Das recently shifting into that role. Hridoy, however, has enjoyed a productive year, averaging 97 across five ODIs against New Zealand and Pakistan, including several unbeaten innings.

With ODI cricket increasingly becoming a format of imposing totals, Mohammedan’s 339 for five on Tuesday offered a glimpse of the blueprint Hridoy believes Bangladesh should follow against Australia.

“Although Australia are a big name, if you look at our performances at home in recent series, not only in ODIs but other formats as well, we have dominated and performed as a team. Obviously there will be challenges, but to post big totals, runs have to come from the top order. We won’t get runs from the top every day, so on those occasions the middle order will have to take responsibility,” he said.

Recent numbers may support a promotion up the order, but Hridoy is not lobbying for one.

“I don’t want to say that. I serve according to the team’s demands. The decision belongs to the captain and team management. So I don’t keep expectations regarding a promotion up the order. It’s the team’s call,” he concluded.