Campbell Smashes Century After Surviving Tricky Third-Umpire Call in Delhi Test

John Campbell delivered a defiant century to breathe life into the West Indies' campaign on Day 4 of the second Test against India at Arun Jaitley Stadium, surviving a contentious third-umpire decision before smashing a six to reach three figures. The left-handed opener's knock of 100 not out has extended the unbroken second-wicket partnership with Shai Hope to 200 runs, propelling West Indies to 278/3 at lunch and reducing the deficit to just 96 runs. Campbell's milestone, his second Test century, came off 150 balls and marked the first century by a West Indian in the series, signaling a rare resurgence after a dismal first-innings total of 248.

The drama unfolded early in the morning session when Campbell, on 95, edged a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja low to slip. Umpire Nitin Menon initially signalled out, but third umpire Tapan Sharma, after reviewing multiple angles, deemed it not out due to insufficient evidence of the ball carrying to KL Rahul. Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace spearhead, was visibly frustrated, gesturing animatedly toward the pavilion in disagreement. Undeterred, Campbell capitalized, dispatching Jadeja's next ball over deep midwicket for six to complete his century amid cheers from a sparse crowd. Hope, unbeaten on 84, complemented the effort with fluent strokeplay, rotating the strike against India's spin-heavy attack led by Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja.

West Indies resumed at 178/3, trailing by 97 after India's mammoth 518/5 declared, powered by Shubman Gill's unbeaten 129. The visitors' fightback began on Day 3 with Campbell and Hope's 138-run stand, a stark contrast to their earlier collapses. Opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul fell for 10 to Mohammed Siraj, caught spectacularly by Gill, while Alick Athanaze managed just seven before Washington Sundar trapped him lbw before tea. Kuldeep, fresh off his maiden five-wicket haul of 5/82 in the first innings—his fifth in 15 tests—has toiled without reward so far, conceding 53 runs in 11 overs at an economy of 4.80.

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India's decision to enforce the follow-on after securing a 270-run lead highlighted their dominance, with Bumrah entering the attack only in the 33rd over. Coach Gautam Gambhir praised Campbell's pre-match composure, noting the pitch's easy nature favoring batsmen with mild turn. As the series stands at 1-0 to India following their 10-wicket win in the opener, West Indies' resilience has set up an intriguing Day 4 afternoon. A draw remains possible if the duo extends further, but India's bowling depth, including Ravichandran Ashwin's subtle variations, could yet tilt the scales. The match, part of the World Test Championship cycle, underscores West Indies' ongoing rebuild under new captain Shai Hope.

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