The Test cricket refuses to die. Every time fans fear that the new-age T20 game is ready to rule, an epic game like we saw in Christchurch crops up. Justin Greaves, a man with barely a dozen caps to his name, just produced one of the most stubborn, heroic innings Test cricket has seen in years, dragging the West Indies to an unforgettable draw against New Zealand with an unbeaten 202.
West Indies were buried long before the final day began. Chasing 531, they were expected to fold like wet paper. They stared down the barrel of a gun when they lost four wickets for just 72 runs. Instead, they batted 163.3 overs in the fourth innings, their second-longest rearguard effort in Test history, and finished on 457 for 6, the highest fourth-innings total ever by a West Indies side.
Justin Greaves delivers an all-time classic
Greaves first played second fiddle during a 196-run partnership with Shai Hope (140), a stand that pulled West Indies away from 72 for 4 and turned the Test on its head. When Hope and Tevin Imlach fell in close succession, the Christchurch crowd sensed the end. Greaves didn’t.
He switched from flair to pure survival, taking blows to the body, refusing risky shots, and remarkably facing 388 balls, more than half of all deliveries he has faced in his Test career. He reached his double hundred in the penultimate over, slicing Jacob Duffy over backward point, the shot sending his teammates into applause. Earlier, he was hobbling in pain due to cramps.
At the other end, veteran Kemar Roach faced 233 deliveries for his 58 not out, offering support as valuable as any century. Together, they broke New Zealand’s spirit, forcing a handshake nobody expected.
West Indies break records in the process
- Highest fourth-innings total in WI Test history: 457/6
(previous best: 418/7 vs Australia, 2003) - Second-most overs batted by WI in a fourth innings: 163.3
(record: 164.3 vs England, 1930) - Greaves becomes 4th WI batter with a double ton vs NZ.
- Fifth-highest 7th wicket partnership for WI in Tests
