A day of 2 tales at Kotla: West Indies put stiff fightback after follow-on

John Campbell and Shai Hope led a spirited West Indies fightback with an unbeaten century stand after India enforced the follow-on in the Delhi Test.

The second Test between India and West Indies turned into a contest of resilience on Day 3 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. After enforcing the follow-on with a lead of 270 runs, India seemed destined to wrap up proceedings on Day 3 itself. Yet, against all odds, the West Indies found backbone and belief in their second innings, showing a rare display of composure and grit.

 

Openers John Campbell and Shai Hope led the resistance, batting through the final session with a mix of patience and precision. Their unbeaten 100-run stand — the team’s highest partnership of the year — became a symbol of defiance against a dominant Indian attack that had previously dictated every passage of play.  At stumps on Day 3, West Indies were 173-2, with John Campbell (87 runs off 145 balls) and Shai Hope (66 off 103 balls) at the crease. West Indies are still trailing by 97 runs of India's 518-5 dec (first innings). 

Dressing-room resolve fuels West Indies resistance

 

 

At the press conference following Day 3 of the Delhi Test, West Indies left-arm spinner Khary Pierre shed light on the discussions within the dressing room after the team was asked to follow on by India.

 

Pierre said that the side focused on application and discipline, taking lessons from the previous sessions where India had dominated both Tests.

 

“Application,” Pierre explained. “We spoke about it in the dressing room — Sammy and the coaching staff emphasised taking the session. This is the first time we’ve been able to win a session in the two Tests so far. The lower order showed a bit of fight and application, and we went out with the same approach. Once you have that mindset, even on a lower wicket, you can do it. That was the message going out to bat — set our necks and apply ourselves.”

   

West Indies 2nd Inning
173-2 (49 ov) CRR:3.53
Batter	Dismissals	R	B	4s	6s	SR
John Campbell	Not out	87	145	9	2	60
Tagenarine Chanderpaul	c S Gill b M Siraj	10	30	1	0	33.33
Alick Athanaze	b W Sundar	7	17	1	0	41.18
Shai Hope	Not out	66	103	8	2	64.08
Extras	3 (b 2, Ib 0, w 0, nb 1, p 0)
Total	173 (2 wkts, 49 Ov)
Yet to Bat	Roston Chase,Tevin Imlach,Justin Greaves,Jomel Warrican,Khary Pierre,Anderson Phillip,Jayden Seales
Bowler	Overs	M	R	W	NB	ECO
Mohammed Siraj	6	2	10	1	0	1.67
Ravindra Jadeja	14	3	52	0	1	3.71
Washington Sundar	13	3	44	1	0	3.38
Kuldeep Yadav	11	0	53	0	0	4.82
Jasprit Bumrah	4	2	9	0	0	2.25
Yashasvi Jaiswal	1	0	3	0	0	3

 

Kuldeep’s artistry sets the stage

 

Earlier, it was Kuldeep Yadav’s magical five-wicket haul (5/82) that had put India firmly in control. The left-arm wrist-spinner dismantled the West Indies’ first innings, exposing their technical frailties on a pitch that demanded precision and patience. Starting the day at 140 for 4, the visitors lost their remaining six wickets for just 108 runs, folding for 248 in 81.5 overs.

 

Kuldeep’s delivery to dismiss Hope in the morning session stood out — a flighted ball that drifted, dipped, and beat the outside edge to clip the off-stump. For a bowler often labelled as condition-dependent, his consistency continues to silence critics. With five five-wicket hauls in just 15 Tests, his record speaks of evolving mastery.  After the end of third day's play, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate heaped praise on Kuldeep. 

"I think the difference with Kuldeep is that he’s a mystery spinner, not easy to pick. That gives him an element of danger compared to finger spinners. But I don’t think we were a million miles off this afternoon, not to point fingers at our bowlers at all," said Doeschate in the press conference.  There were three very close decisions — if even two of those had gone our way, it would’ve been a much better day.

Kuldeep put the ball in the right areas and spun it both ways. You can see how small the margins are — it’s the difference between a play-and-miss and an edge that carries. The fact that many of these guys haven’t faced much of him before also adds to his mystery, making him more effective.

 

Siraj strikes, Washington joins the act

 

Armed with a 270-run cushion, captain Shubman Gill had little hesitation in enforcing the follow-on. India’s bowlers, refreshed and confident, wasted no time attacking again. Mohammed Siraj struck first, removing Tagenarine Chanderpaul with a well-directed short ball that induced a top edge — a dismissal reminiscent of the first Test.

 

Moments later, Washington Sundar produced a classic off-spinner’s delight to bowl Alick Athanaze, West Indies’ best batter this series. The delivery slowed through the air, drifted in, and turned sharply to clip the top of off. By tea, the West Indies were 35 for 2, still 235 behind and seemingly heading for another innings defeat. 

 

Bumrah’s delayed entry and tactical rotation

 

Interestingly, Jasprit Bumrah was not brought into the attack until the 33rd over of the West Indies’ second innings. Having last bowled late in the visitors’ first innings, the Indian pace spearhead appeared to be under workload management rather than injury concern. He was seen warming up midway through the session, with India’s think tank clearly preserving him for a late burst.

 

The strategy reflected India’s growing emphasis on bowler rotation and managing fatigue across back-to-back series — a hallmark of their disciplined approach under coach Gautam Gambhir and young skipper Gill.

 

Hope and Campbell lead a spirited reply

 

But the expected collapse never came. Instead, John Campbell and Shai Hope stood tall, countering spin with soft hands and disciplined footwork. When Hope pushed Washington Sundar through deep cover for a single to bring up the 100-run partnership, the West Indies viewing gallery rose in applause — their loudest of the tour.

 

It was not just a statistical milestone. It marked the first century stand for West Indies in 2024, surpassing their previous best of 71. Against a world-class attack, the pair’s composure symbolised resistance and restoration of pride.

 

As the sun dipped over Kotla, India’s charge slowed, but the day belonged to Test cricket itself — a reminder that grit can still stand tall against might. 

West Indies 1st Inning
248-10 (81.5 ov) CRR:3.03
Batter	Dismissals	R	B	4s	6s	SR
John Campbell	c S Sudharsan b R Jadeja	10	25	2	0	40
Tagenarine Chanderpaul	c KL Rahul b R Jadeja	34	67	4	1	50.75
Alick Athanaze	c R Jadeja b K Yadav	41	84	5	1	48.81
Shai Hope	b K Yadav	36	57	5	0	63.16
Roston Chase (C)	c & b R Jadeja	0	7	0	0	0
Tevin Imlach (WK)	lbw b K Yadav	21	67	3	0	31.34
Justin Greaves	lbw b K Yadav	17	20	3	0	85
Khary Pierre	b J Bumrah	23	46	3	0	50
Jomel Warrican	b M Siraj	1	5	0	0	20
Anderson Phillip	Not out	24	93	2	0	25.81
Jayden Seales	lbw b K Yadav	13	25	3	0	52
Extras	28 (b 5, Ib 18, w 0, nb 5, p 0)
Total	248 (10 wkts, 81.5 Ov)
Bowler	O	M	R	W	NB	ECO
Jasprit Bumrah	14	4	40	1	0	2.86
Mohammed Siraj	9	2	16	1	0	1.78
Ravindra Jadeja	19	5	46	3	4	2.42
Kuldeep Yadav	26.5	4	82	5	1	3.06
Washington Sundar	13	2	41	0	0	3.15

 

 

A test of patience, not dominance

 

While India remain favourites, the day served as a reminder that even in dominance, there is room for drama. From Kuldeep’s artistry to Hope’s defiance, the match reflected cricket’s enduring rhythm — where momentum shifts in a heartbeat, and courage counts as much as class.

 

For the West Indies, this partnership may not change the result, but it rekindles belief in a side long searching for its spine. For India, it is another lesson in endurance — that even when victory seems near, Test cricket always demands patience.