Team India captain Shubman Gill came under heavy criticism on social media after his decision to enforce the follow-on against the West Indies appeared to backfire on Day 4 of the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
For the first time in the two-match series, the West Indies managed to dominate proceedings, thanks to a strong partnership between John Campbell and Shai Hope. The duo added 177 runs for the third wicket, frustrating India’s bowlers and reducing the deficit to just 18 runs at lunch.
Campbell, playing his 50th Test innings, scored his maiden century, becoming the first West Indies opener to reach the milestone since March 2023. He reached the landmark with a six off Ravindra Jadeja, who eventually dismissed him lbw with a sharp delivery when the batter attempted a reverse sweep.
Hope, meanwhile, continued to anchor the innings and looked poised for a hundred of his own, ensuring the visitors remained competitive after India had asked them to bat again.
Earlier, India had enforced the follow-on after bowling out West Indies for 248 in their first innings — a deficit of 270 runs following India’s massive 518/5 declared. However, the Windies’ fightback drew criticism from fans who questioned Gill’s tactical call.
India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate revealed that the team had debated whether to bat again before choosing to enforce the follow-on.
“Yeah, there was a discussion to bat, obviously. Those last two wickets took a little longer than we hoped, and it started going towards the fact where you do look to bat again. But we felt 275 was a good lead,” Ten Doeschate explained.
Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s probing spells and Jadeja’s eventual breakthrough, India struggled to make further inroads, giving the West Indies a much-needed lifeline in the contest.
