The West Indian all-rounder powered himself to a maiden double Test double century.
There’s something about Test cricket that puts it on a pedestal. Five days of a gruelling contest between bat and ball results in neither of the two teams winning. But the feeling in one camp is that of pure ecstasy. And West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves is at the epicentre of all the joy that will be on the faces of the fans in the Caribbean.
Let’s be absolutely clear – there was just one result possible in the first Test between the Windies and New Zealand in Christchurch, after the hosts put up a mountain of runs to chase for the West Indies. A team doesn’t save a match after being six down with more than 50 overs to play. That’s not how the script goes. Well, in walk Justin Greaves and Kemar Roach – grinding a draw out of the impossible.
They say ‘Test cricket is beautiful because it always lands you a second chance.’ Justin Greaves, who was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the match went on to score an unbeaten double century to save the match for the West Indies. Can their be a better version of the same line to suit the scenario? Not really.
Justin Greaves scored his maiden double century in the longest format. Frankly speaking, we don’t know whether there will be another one. But this one was enough to etch his name in a league of greats, who have achieved the milestone for a double century in the fourth innings of a Test match.
There were just six batters in the history of Men’s Test cricket to have achieved the feat which the West Indian all-rounder did in Christchurch. Out of the seven names now including Greaves, four belong to the West Indies. That says a lot about the grit and determination from the Caribbean islands, which transforms into knocks like these in Test cricket.
Let us have a look at each of the seven instances.
After England scored a whopping 849 in the first innings on the back of Andy Sandham’s 325, the West Indies were always going to play catch up in the game. However, George Headley’s 223 helped the West Indies draw the game after being reduced to 408/5.
South Africa put up a humongous 530 in the first innings of the Test, and gained a lead of 184 runs, after England were all-out for 316. However, the Proteas put up another 481 runs on the board to hand England a steep target. Amongst the three centurions from England in the fourth innings was Bill Edrich, who went on to score 219, which helped the Englishmen save the Test.
Sunil Gavaskar’s resolve helped India draw a famous Test match against England at The Oval. That being said, the Indians were well on the cusp of losing the Test match after a series of wickets, despite a great start by the openers in the fourth innings. But Gavaskar’s 221 in the fourth innings came to the visitors’ rescue.
This was the first instance when a batter scoring a double century in the fourth innings of a Test match won the game for his team. Gordon Greenidge’s 214* was instrumental in securing a one-wicket victory for the West Indies against hosts England at the Lord’s cricket ground. The Windies were chasing a target in excess of 340.
Though the Kiwis lost the Test match, Nathan Astle scored a wonderful 222 in the fourth innings to give the visitors some hope. New Zealand fell short by a margin of 98 runs. Graham Thorpe scored a magnificent 200 in the second innings as well, which was instrumental in guiding England towards a competitive score in the Test.
When the Windies score, they usually take their team towards victory. Such was an instance in 2021 in Chattogram, when Kyle Mayers scored a composed 210* to take the West Indies home by three wickets against hosts Bangladesh. Barring Nkrumah Bonner, he did not have a lot of support. But he steered the Windies past the Bangladesh lions.
In a epic showdown of events, Justin Greaves’ unbeaten 202 paved the way for the West Indies to secure a draw against New Zealand in Christchurch. After the Windies had their backs against the wall, Greaves and Kemar Roach got together to display a wonderful defensive masterclass, which has quickly become the talk of the town.
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| Batter | Score | Opposition |
| George Headley | 223 | England, 1930 |
| Bill Edrich | 219 | South Africa, 1939 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 221 | England, 1979 |
| Gordon Greenidge | 214* | England, 1984 |
| Nathan Astle | 222 | England, 2002 |
| Kyle Mayers | 210* | Bangladesh, 2021 |
| Justin Greaves | 202* | New Zealand, 2025 |
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