West Indies are on the verge of a 10th straight Test series defeat in India. The ongoing 2-match series has entered its last phase where India need 58 runs on the final day of the Delhi Test. It doesn’t make for happy reading if you are a fan of West Indies cricket, but the way the team has shown some resilience should instill some hope.
After two days of sheer dominance, India made a decision that steered the game in a direction where West Indies found some solace. India captain Shubman Gill, for the first time in his just-started captaincy career, asked the opposition to follow-on on a still flat pitch and despite having bowled 81.5 overs in the first innings.
To India’s dismay, the Kotla track didn’t disintegrate as much as they expected it
to by the end of Day 3. As a result, the stubborn resistance from Shai Hope and John Campbell, followed by a gritty fifty from Justin Greaves, made the Indian bowlers toil for 118.5 overs across four sessions.
However, the effort wasn’t enough to have India in pursuit of a challenging total with West Indies managing a 120-run lead in their second essay. But the 390-run total, forged through patience, has certainly reinstated their self-belief after several batting debacles of the recent past.
In fact, it was the first time in six Tests against India that they pushed a game into the fifth day.
Campbell-Hope Synergy
Despite India striking early in the second innings, Hope and Campbell surprised the Indians with their defiance. A 177-run partnership for the third wicket, the West Indies’ highest stand in 2025 for any wicket, kept the Indian bowlers at bay for 295 deliveries.
And not just grit, the duo displayed courage as well. On Monday morning, Campbell smashed Ravindra Jadeja for a cracking six to bring up his maiden hundred in Test cricket, while Hope got a boundary through an outside edge to register his first Test hundred since 2017.
“I think it’s a big positive for us. Having not gotten the best first innings, we came out in the second innings and batted over 100 overs. So that’s a big plus for us,” Campbell said, responding to a CNN-News18 CricketNext query, after the end of the fourth day’s play.
“We always wanted to bat as long as possible. Shai and I just aimed to take it as deep as possible once we got a start and support each other through the innings,” he added.
Test cricket in the West Indies has been on life support for years. The growing lure of franchise leagues and the Caribbean stars’ preference for them have drained the red-ball format of fresh talent. While legends like Brian Lara have often questioned the players’ intent, the team’s fight over the past couple of days must have given them a glimmer of hope.
In fact, the likes of Lara, Viv Richards, and Richie Richardson met Roston Chase & Co. in Delhi to motivate them after their listless show in Ahmedabad. The message appears to have struck a chord, even if the result won’t go their way.
Appreciation From India
Campbell and Hope forced the Indians to come up with something different if they wanted control back. All-rounder Washington Sundar lauded the duo for batting their hearts out.
“Honestly, Campbell and Hope played really well. They took their chances, and once the field was spread out, they were really sensible with their game as well. They batted really well, both of them. But the conversation for us was to be really patient and bowl those good deliveries no matter what,” Sundar said on Monday.
Greaves’ Late Cameo
If the giant third-wicket partnership wasn’t draining enough, India were in for some more frustration as Greaves and Jayden Seales dropped anchor for the last-wicket partnership. A 79-run stand, off 133 balls, forced the hosts to spend more time on the field than they would have expected to before Bumrah broke through.
West Indies’ Final Push
With India needing just 58 on the final day, Campbell still hopes for a dramatic turnaround on Tuesday morning.
“Well, as we saw towards the latter part of the day, the wicket was a little bit up and down, so who knows what a few early wickets might do in the morning,” said Campbell.
