West Indies opener John Campbell was elated after scoring his maiden Test century in the second Test against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in Delhi, on Monday.
Resuming Day 4 on 87, Campbell reached the three-figure mark with a six in the first session. On Day 3, India had enforced the follow-on on the West Indies. The visitors lost two quick wickets, but Campbell then forged a century partnership with Shai Hope to lead his team’s fightback.
Reflecting on his innings at the end of Day 4, Campbell said: “I can’t really put it into words right now. Maybe, tomorrow, I’ll be able to describe it.
“We always spoke about it being a good batting track. As a batsman, once you get a start here, it becomes easier. I think I still went for my shots — it was just about being more selective. My shot selection was a lot clearer in this innings. I’ve always enjoyed playing the sweep.”
On a pitch that was slow and offered variable bounce, Campbell played an authoritative knock in the third innings. In the first innings, too, he looked settled during his stay at the crease, but was dismissed in an unfortunate fashion with the ball sticking in Sai Sudharsan’s hands at short leg.
It took 48 innings for Campbell to achieve his maiden Test century, making it the second-longest wait for an opening batter in the format’s history — surpassed only by South Africa’s Trevor Goddard, who reached the milestone in his 58th innings. The century also made Campbell the first West Indies opener to score a Test hundred since March 2023.
His innings was cut short by Ravindra Jadeja, as the Jamaican missed a sweep shot and was given out LBW after scoring 115 off 199 balls.
Campbell’s knock, coupled with Hope’s 103, propelled the West Indies to 390, setting India a target of 121. With nine wickets in hand, the hosts need 58 runs to win. On the other hand, West Indies need nine wickets to pull off a miraculous victory.
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