They didn’t win, but they didn’t wilt. In the face of another series defeat — this time at the hands of India — the West Indies men’s cricket team showed a fight that caught the eye of one of their critics: Brian Lara.
The second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi ended in a sweep for India, but not before the Men in Maroon clawed back pride with gritty performances and a defiant final-innings stand.
Lara, once vocal about the team’s apparent lack of commitment, reversed course — praising the players’ resilience and urging Cricket West Indies to embed legends like himself more closely within the squad’s development.
Following an innings defeat in the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, there had been little hope for the Windies heading into the second Test. But moments of promise emerged that could spur the Caribbean side forward after a period of worrying defeats.
Among them was a maiden century for opener John Campbell. The 32-year-old Jamaican became the first West Indies opener in more than two decades to score a Test hundred on Indian soil.
Having taken 50 Test matches to achieve his first century, Campbell played impressively in foreign conditions for his 115 runs off 199 deliveries in the third innings, as the Windies fought back after being forced to follow on following India’s mammoth first innings score of 518-5 declared.
Campbell’s century came in a 177-run partnership with Shai Hope, who also reached triple figures, scoring his first century in eight years. The Bajan made 103 runs, his first three-figure score since returning to the longest format earlier this year, following a four-year hiatus.
There was also notable resistance shown by the West Indian lower order. Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales, and Anderson Philip all registered scores of over 20 runs in the second Test. Seales top-scored among the three bowlers with 32, which came in a last-wicket stand with all-rounder Justin Greaves (50 not out), worth 79 runs.
On social media, fans of Caribbean cricket highlighted the improvements and the fighting spirit shown by the West Indies despite the defeat.
Lara witnessed the performance having travelled to India along with Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Richie Richardson to seek sponsorship for the development of cricket in the region.
The “Prince of Port of Spain”, who holds the record for the highest single-innings score in Test history — an unbeaten 400 against England back in 2004 — noted that “being in the presence of the players” brought him “closer to their reality”.
“The number of questions they asked showed me that they’re not just going through the motions, they’re searching for ways to lift themselves and the team out of this strife,” he said. “Sometimes, from the outside looking in, we assume their commitment is lacking, but we may be wrong. Often, they just need guidance.
“Something for [Cricket West Indies] to consider would be having one of our greats, and we have a few, to provide a presence amongst the team. Not necessarily travel as part of the team, but to be seen and to be available for our players to bounce ideas off when they are searching for inspiration and breakthroughs.”
Lara congratulated Campbell and Hope on their gutsy performances.
Team captain Roston Chase was hopeful that the series would serve as “a stepping stone” in Tests.
As West Indies cricket continues its long climb from the depths of defeat, the second Test offered a glimpse of belief — and hope for better days for fans of the team.
