After being dismissed for just 248 in reply to India’s mammoth 518/5 declared, the West Indies were forced to follow on at the Arun Jaitley Stadium under the sweltering October sun. With India already in complete control, another innings defeat for the visitors seemed inevitable. The early dismissals of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze within the first hour only deepened that fear. But amid the gloom, John Campbell stepped up with a spirited counterattack that soon had luck smiling in his favor.
The turning point came in the 19th over when Washington Sundar was into his fourth of the innings. Campbell, batting on 27, began confidently by sweeping a full delivery through square leg for four. However, Sundar struck back almost instantly, trapping him on the pads with the next delivery. India went up in a loud appeal, and the umpire raised his finger. Campbell, though, reviewed immediately. Replays revealed a spike on the snickometer caused by the bat brushing the ground, enough to overturn the decision and hand him a narrow escape.
— Sanjuvsamson (@Sanjuvsams50351) October 12, 2025
Sundar, undeterred, adjusted his line and length and struck Campbell on the pads again on the next ball. This time, the umpire turned down India’s appeal, prompting a review. Ball-tracking showed the delivery clipping the stumps, but with the impact being umpire’s call, Campbell survived once more. The Indians were left frustrated as the opener continued to test their patience.
— Sanjuvsamson (@Sanjuvsams50351) October 12, 2025
In Sundar’s very next over, déjà vu struck. Campbell once again swept the third ball for four, only to be struck on the pads with the next delivery. India went upstairs yet again, and just like before, the ball was shown to be hitting the stumps marginally — but not enough to overturn the on-field call. The West Indies opener had now miraculously escaped three consecutive reviews.
Riding his luck, Campbell went on to punish the bowlers, smashing Kuldeep Yadav for a six and a four in quick succession to bring up his fourth Test half-century. His gritty and somewhat miraculous survival drew both amusement and admiration from fans online, as Twitter erupted with jokes and memes about Campbell’s incredible fortune.