IND vs WI | Twitter amused as Campbell leads charmed life to survive three review calls by whisker

After being bundled out for 248 in pursuit of India’s first innings total of 518/5d, West Indies were asked to follow on at the Arun Jaitley Stadium under the October sun. Given the Caribbean nation’s recent batting exploits, a result in India’s favour seemed inevitable by a margin of an innings and some, and the feeling only intensified when Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze both returned to the dugout within the first hour of the second innings. However, just when all was beginning to seem bleak, John Campbell emerged riding on a wave of confidence and seized momentum such that even Lady Luck dared not to defy him.

The saga began in the 19th over, with Washington Sundar set to bowl his fourth of the innings while Campbell was unbeaten on 27. The opener came on strike on the third ball and immediately swept a full delivery firmly through square leg for his fifth boundary of the day. Nevertheless, Sundar persisted with his plans as did Campbell, only for the veteran to miss the Kookaburra on this occassion as it pitched near his foot and thumped into the pads. The hosts immediately went up in loud appeal and after a little hesitation, the umpire relented in thier favour but Campbell was quick to review. The replays showed that the ball seemed to have passed under the gloves but at the very same moment Campbell’s bat also brushed the surface, generating a spike in the snicko that was enough to overturn the on-field decision. On the very next ball, Sundar dropped his length and targetted a wider line, tempting Campbell forward into defence before the SG turned off the deck and hit him on the pad yet again. Another celebrappeal followed but this time there was no raised finger, provoking India to take a review of their own. Ball-tracking revealed two reds but the impact was umpire’s call by the barest of margins, allowing Campbell another reprieve.

In a bizarre sequence in Sundar’s next over, Campbell once again swept him for four on the third ball of the innings, once again prompting Sundar to drop his length and catch him flush on the pads. Another review followed and in an almost carbon copy of the previous instance, umpire’s call on impact let Campbell live to fight another day. It was all the inspiration he needed as the batter took on Kuldeep Yadav for a six and four soon after to bring up a fourth career half-century, thoroughly entertaining Twitterati in the process.

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