John Campbell Sets Historic Record, Becomes First Test Opener in 60 Years to Achieve 21st-Century Milestone
West Indies opener John Campbell creates historic Test record, scores maiden century after 50 innings, first visiting opener in Delhi in 21st century.
New Delhi, Oct 13: West Indies opener John Campbell etched his name in cricket history during the fourth day of the second Test against India at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The 32 year old played a pivotal role in the visitors’ remarkable comeback after India enforced the follow on following a 270 run first innings lead.
Maiden Century After 50 Innings
Campbell scored his maiden Test century in the 50th innings of his career, marking a personal milestone in his 25-match Test journey. His previous highest score was 68 against New Zealand in 2020. With this innings, Campbell set a 21st-century world record for the most innings taken by an opener to reach a maiden Test century, becoming only the second opener in history to achieve this feat after England’s Trevor Goddard 60 years ago.
Player Innings as Opener Before Maiden Test Ton Year
Trevor Goddard 59 1965
John Campbell 50 2025
Daren Ganga 45 2006
Imrul Kayes 33 2004
Bob Simpson 32 1964
First Visiting Opener in Delhi in the 21st Century
Campbell also became the first visiting opener in the 21st century to score a Test century in Delhi. Overall, he is the sixth visiting opener to reach this milestone at the iconic venue, and the first in 41 years since England’s Tim Robinson in 1984.
Player Runs Team Year
Bert Schuffile 230 New Zealand 1955
John Holt 123 West Indies 1959
Dennis Amiss 179 England 1976
Geoffrey Boycott 105 England 1981
Tim Robinson 160 England 1984
John Campbell 115 West Indies 2025
Campbell became the 17th player to score his maiden Test century in India, joining an elite list including Viv Richards and Kapil Dev. He is also the first West Indies opener since Wavell Hinds in 2002 (Kolkata) to score a ton against India in India, and the first overall since Daren Ganga in 2006 (St. Kitts) for the Windies.
Campbell’s innings not only revived West Indies’ hopes but also turned the second Test into a thrilling contest, putting India on the back foot after enforcing the follow on.
