‘Calypso Collapso’ – Unfortunately, when it comes to West Indies cricket, this is a phrase that has been used on numerous occasions over the last many years. The ongoing Test series between India and the West Indies has been no different with the latter suffering regular collapses. But now and then, the West Indies seem to have a flicker of hope amidst the ruins. In the second innings of the second Test, Shai Hope and John Campbell stitched an unbeaten alliance of 138 to bring some cheer to the camp.
For starters, Campbell is yet to score a Test hundred. The left-hander made his Test debut back in 2019 versus England; a series where he compiled a few eye-catching 40s. Over a period of time, that is how his Test career has panned out – Enough of 30s and 40s alongside just three half-centuries to his name. In fact, his last Test fifty came around three years ago.
On the day, Campbell was adept at playing the sweep shot; something that he employed well while facing good length or slightly fuller than good-length deliveries. Just zoom in on the stats and you will observe that 31 of his runs came via sweep. He also handled one of his nemesis in the series – Ravindra Jadeja – with a degree of conviction.
The turning point of the stand perhaps came when Campbell and Hope cracked a slew of shots while being up against Kuldeep Yadav, the visiting side’s tormentor in the first innings. Suddenly, the field got spread and enough singles were available.
For a moment, let’s also touch upon the curious case of Hope. The West Indies skipper averages over 50 in the ODI format. However, Test cricket hasn’t exactly turned out to be a bed of roses for him.
Long ago, in seaming conditions in Leeds, his twin centuries against the might of James Anderson and Stuart Broad had earned the West Indies a rare Test win in England. As it happened, he hasn’t composed another Test century.
So, what could have been his bugbear? Most likely his inability to find a way against good length or back-of-a-length deliveries while facing pace has gone against him. After his epoch-making moment in Leeds, for the next three years, he averaged a mere 11.66 and 9.33 versus length and short-of-length deliveries respectively. Just to make matters worse for Hope, good length is a staple delivery for any pace bowler in the longest format of the game.
No wonder, Hope was left out of the West Indies Test set-up somewhere in late 2021. Only after Daren Sammy took over as the coach of all formats did Hope return to the Test side. His first Test fifty in six years should give Hope some breathing space as he tries to resurrect his Test career.
So, can Campbell and Hope continue to build on the good work on Day 4 and chart a heist? Logic says unlikely. Knowing how the West Indies have batted over a long period of time, one wicket could lead to a ‘Calypso Collapso’. But the pair’s undefeated stand would have boosted the confidence of the players in the dressing room. Although just a glance at the larger picture would tell that the West Indies have a long and tough road ahead as they try to pick up the pieces of basically a lost empire.
