John Campbell’s unbeaten 87 and Shai Hope’s 66 helped West Indies mount a strong resistance against India on day three of the second Test in New Delhi. After being forced to follow on, the duo’s unbroken 138-run partnership saw West Indies reach 173 for two at stumps, though they still trail by 97 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Earlier in the day, Kuldeep Yadav showcased his exceptional talent, claiming his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket with figures of 5/82, which helped bundle out West Indies for 248 in their first innings. The visitors had begun the day at 140 for 4.
Campbell and Hope’s half-centuries were notably the only fifty-plus scores by West Indies batsmen in this series so far. While India’s victory still appears inevitable, their counter-attacking partnership has undoubtedly injected some much-needed confidence ahead of West Indies’ upcoming tour of New Zealand.
The day’s play began with Kuldeep producing a spectacular delivery to dismiss Hope for 36 in the first innings. The spinner skillfully adjusted his bowling arm angle and delivered a quicker ball with drift that brilliantly beat Hope’s outside edge, crashing into the off-stump.
Following Hope’s dismissal, West Indies’ first innings quickly collapsed. Tevin Imlach was trapped leg-before for 21, and Justin Greaves fell for 17 after attempting a series of reverse sweeps.
Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah efficiently cleaned up the remaining tail-enders, although Kharry Pierre (23) and Anderson Phillip (24) offered a brief glimmer of resistance with a 46-run partnership for the ninth wicket.
After being asked to follow on, West Indies initially struggled, reaching just 35 for 2 by tea. However, Campbell dramatically shifted tactics after the break, adopting an aggressive approach against spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep.
The pitch, while occasionally keeping low, did not show significant deterioration, which made batting more manageable. Hope visibly gained confidence from Campbell’s attacking style, and both batsmen successfully navigated the Indian spinners.
Indian captain Shubman Gill was compelled to implement an “in-out” field setting as boundaries began to flow. Kuldeep’s defensive field placements, including a long-on, deep extra cover, and deep square leg, marked a clear departure from his dominant first-innings strategy.
The surface offered minimal assistance to the spinners, who increasingly had to rely on sheer shoulder power to generate pace and turn. After bowling a marathon 81.5 overs, fatigue was noticeably impacting their performance.
Hope struck eight fours and two sixes in his innings, while Campbell smashed nine boundaries and two sixes. Their impressive display has instilled a sense of hope in head coach Darren Sammy, suggesting that some players still possess the ability to perform purposefully at this level.
The West Indies batsmen displayed confident back-foot play against the spinners, an improved batting performance in their second innings that hints at potential for stronger showings in future matches.
Kuldeep’s five-wicket haul in the first innings was achieved in his 15th Test match, maintaining an impressive record of one five-wicket haul every three games. This outstanding consistency continues to challenge perceptions of him as merely a conditions-dependent bowler.
In the initial innings, Hope and Imlach had shown comfort against Bumrah and even managed to score some quick boundaries off Kuldeep. However, after Hope’s dismissal to Kuldeep’s brilliant delivery, West Indies dramatically lost four wickets in just seven overs, collapsing to 175 for 8.