New Delhi, Oct 13 (NationPress) John Campbell scored 115 – marking his first Test century – as the West Indies showcased their impressive comeback by reaching 252/3 in 78 overs at lunch, now trailing India by just 18 runs on day four of the second and final Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.

This century is significant as it is the first Test hundred by a West Indies opener in India in the last 23 years, with the previous one being by Wavell Hinds in 2002. Although Campbell was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja after achieving this milestone in his 50th innings, his solid partnership with Shai Hope of 177 runs came to an end, yet Hope remains not out on 92, just eight runs shy of his century.

As the pitch began to slow down, Hope received valuable support from Roston Chase (23 not out off 34 balls). The morning session was dominated by the West Indies, who managed to add 79 runs while losing only Campbell. With the second new ball set to be introduced in two overs, the upcoming post-lunch session is anticipated to provide more excitement, especially since India may have to bat again after enforcing the follow-on.

Interestingly, the last instance of India being asked to bat after a follow-on was back in 2012 during a Test against England in Ahmedabad.

On day four, Campbell and Hope resumed their steady partnership, accumulating runs with singles and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking. They effectively countered a challenging spell from Bumrah, who was utilizing the old ball for reverse swing.

Bumrah did manage to strike Campbell on the pads with a low delivery, but after a review, which suggested an inside edge, India lost it. Following the replacement of the ball, Campbell and Hope continued to score fluidly, despite Jadeja's threatening deliveries.

Campbell reached his century in an exhilarating style with a powerful slog-sweep off Jadeja that sailed over the long-on boundary, celebrating by removing his helmet and soaking in the applause from the dressing room.

He then struck Mohammed Siraj for a couple of boundaries, leading West Indies through the first hour without a loss. However, after a motivational talk by KL Rahul during the drinks break, Campbell was dropped at 111 when an edge went between keeper Dhruv Jurel and first slip.

Attempting an expansive reverse-sweep with three fielders positioned on the off-side, Campbell was ultimately trapped lbw by a quicker delivery from Jadeja at 115. Hope maintained his composure by punching Washington Sundar for four, while captain Roston Chase struck a six and a four off the off-spinner, bringing West Indies’ deficit under 50 runs. By the time Hope and Chase departed for lunch, the West Indies had successfully secured another strong session.

Brief Scores: India 518/5 in 134.2 overs lead West Indies 248 and 252/3 in 78 overs (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 92 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1-26, Washington Sundar 1-68) by 18 runs