West Indies opener John Campbell said his shot selection was a lot clearer in the second innings of the second Test match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi after he scored his maiden Test century. The left-hander scored a fine knock of 115 runs off 199 balls, including a dozen fours and three maximums.
The southpaw batted at the top of his game and added an impressive alliance of 177 runs with Shai Hope to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Campbell had not delivered in the first three innings of the series but proved his mettle in the second essay at Delhi.
The Windies opening batsman had ended the third day’s play at 87 and reached his maiden century with a six.
Campbell said while talking to the official broadcasters after the end of the fourth day’s play, “I can’t really put it into words right now. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be able to describe it. We always spoke about it being a good batting track. As a batsman, once you get a start here, it becomes easier. I think I still went for my shots, it was just about being more selective. My shot selection was a lot clearer in this innings. I’ve always enjoyed playing the sweep. Thankfully, it worked well for me.”
On reaching his personal milestone with a maximum, Campbell said, “Before the ball, I saw him putting mid-on a little bit closer, so I thought, if it’s close enough for me, I’m going for it.”
Campbell didn’t have the rub of the green on his side in the first innings as he was caught at short leg by Sai Sudharsan when he had timed the ball to perfection.
The left-hander concluded, “That was a freak of a catch. Honestly, I couldn’t have done anything different. I am just thankful I could come back in the second innings and make a big contribution for the team.”
West Indies were bowled out for 390 runs in the second innings, giving a target of 121 runs to India. The hosts ended the penultimate day at 63-1, needing another 58 runs to win.
