Unique Cricket Record: The second Test between India and West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi created a rare instance in the history of cricket. India’s first follow-on in nearly 60 years is a rare occurrence in Test cricket, and he suffered a teleportation illusion when he told India they needed to bat again. West Indies player John Campbell was very happy with his team’s strong batting in the second innings of the second Test match against India. He said this performance gave the team a lot of confidence and was a “big positive” for them.
West Indies Fight Back Strongly
West Indies were cheaply bowled out in the first innings and were asked to follow on. However, the Caribbean side had demonstrated great character in the second innings. Both openers and the middle-order battery showed patience and doggedness; John Campbell, hitting his maiden century, and Shai Hope contributing the most with him in a 177-run partnership.
It was not only because of their stand that West Indies could obliterate the deficit, but also because of their stand they faced an attacking bowling and a small target of 164 in fourths – the likes of which Indian followers haven’t seen in decades.
A Rare Occurrence in Delhi
This was a once-in-a-generation situation, and an event such as the one being discussed in Delhi would mark the first time India would be in a similar situation since the 1960s. Such contests are very rare, as the team batting second usually wins by an innings or more.
Historical Instances
Under the long Test past of India, being put back to bat again following the follow-on has happened only rarely. Some of the significant ones are:
1952 – vs England (Leeds)
1964 – vs Australia (Sydney)
1983 – vs West Indies (Antigua)
2025 – vs West Indies (Delhi)
Every time it has been different by context, but the outcome every time has held a lesson for resilience and respect in the fight for the opposition.
