West Indies’ senior batter Shai Hope has finally ended his long drought in Test cricket. On the fourth day of the ongoing second Test against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Hope not only stood firm in a difficult situation but also scored a brilliant century. This century came after a gap of eight years, as his previous Test hundred came back in 2017. However, along with this milestone, Hope has also set an unwanted record — he has now become the West Indies batter with the most innings between two Test centuries. This was only the second century of his Test career; his previous one came against England in 2017.
Before Hope, this record was held by Jermaine Blackwood, who took 47 innings between two centuries from 2015 to 2020. The list also includes legendary names like Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, and Chris Gayle.
Most innings between two Test centuries for West Indies batters:
- 58 – Shai Hope (2017–2025)
- 47 – Jermaine Blackwood (2015–2020)
- 46 – Chris Gayle (2005–2008)
- 44 – Dwayne Bravo (2005–2009)
- 41 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1998–2002)
West Indies take the lead over India
Before Hope’s century, John Campbell also scored a hundred in the same match. The duo added 177 runs for the third wicket, which played a key role in helping West Indies take the lead despite being asked to follow on. This became only the fourth instance in India’s Test history where the Indian team had to bat again after enforcing the follow-on. The last time this happened was in 2012, a time when none of the players from the current Indian squad had made their Test debut.