New Delhi, Oct 13 : For the first time in an otherwise one sided two match Test series, the West Indies seized the initiative in a single session, thanks to a masterful partnership between John Campbell and Shai Hope at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The duo put on a 177 run century stand on the third evening of the second Test after India enforced the follow on a decision that has now sparked widespread criticism online directed at Shubman Gill.
West Indies continued their strong performance into the fourth morning, with Campbell reaching his maiden Test century in his 50th innings. Hope, meanwhile, inched closer to a triple figure score. Resuming at 173 for two, the pair survived the initial hour unscathed, with Campbell becoming the first West Indies opener to hit a Test century since March 2023, smashing a six off Ravindra Jadeja to reach three figures.
While pacer Jasprit Bumrah delivered a challenging spell, it was Ravindra Jadeja who eventually broke the stand, trapping Campbell lbw with a reverse sweep attempt. Hope, however, kept the visitors competitive, reducing the deficit to under 20 runs by lunch.
India had enforced the follow on on Sunday after dismissing West Indies for 248, trailing by 270 runs following India’s first innings 518-5 declared. The Windies’ resilience in the opening session of Day 4, narrowing the gap to just 18 runs, triggered a wave of criticism on social media over Gill’s decision to enforce the follow on.
Earlier, after Day 3, India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate revealed that there had been a discussion on whether to bat again before enforcing the follow on. “Yeah, there was a discussion to bat, obviously. Those last two wickets took a little bit longer than we would have hoped for, and it probably started going towards the fact where you do look to bat again, but we felt 275 was a good lead,” Ten Doeschate said.
Fans have since taken to social media, expressing frustration at India’s choice and targeting Shubman Gill, whose follow on decision has now become the focal point of debate in cricket circles.