Ranking all double centuries Indian batters have scored against the West Indies in Tests

The highly anticipated two-match Test series between the West Indies and India is set to commence on Wednesday (July 12). The opening Test is scheduled to be hosted by Windsor Park in Dominica from July 12 to July 16.

India, who recently lost the World Test Championship (2021-23) final against Australia, will look to commence the new 2023-25 WTC cycle with a series win.

West Indies, meanwhile, suffered a humiliating exit from the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. They will look to give the visitors a hard time and perhaps cause an upset.

The rivalry between India and the West Indies dates back to 1948 when the two teams faced each other for the first time in Delhi. The two sides have featured in 24 Test series so far, with the Caribbean side winning 12 of those series and India winning ten. Two Test series have ended in a draw.

Over the last 75 years, there have seen several moments when the Indian batters have dominated the proceedings. There have been as many as seven instances when an Indian batter has gone on to register a double-century against the West Indies in Tests.

We rank all the seven double centuries hit by an Indian against the Caribbean unit.

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#7 201 off 491 - Navjot Singh Sidhu in 1997

Navjot Singh Sidhu of India [Getty Images]

Once considered a hard-hitting batter in ODIs, Navjot Singh Sidhu proved that he was also capable of playing the longest format of the game when he compiled a patient double-century against the West Indies in 1997.

After returning to the Indian setup in the series, Sidhu failed in the first Test but came back strongly in the second Test in Trinidad, scoring 201 off 491 balls.

In response to the home team’s 296 in the first innings, India were in early trouble, losing opener VVS Laxman for a duck. His partner Sidhu then joined hands with the ever-reliable Rahul Dravid (57) to steady the ship and then went on to take India past the 400-run mark.

Sidhu took 488 balls to reach his double hundred, which is still the slowest Test double ton by an Indian.

The West Indies scored 299/6 in their second innings before the match ended in a draw. Sidhu was elated after his knock, which not only earned him the 'Man of the Match' award but also signaled his comeback to the Indian team.

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#6 205 off 342 - Sunil Gavaskar in 1978

One of the greatest Test batters of all time, Sunil Gavaskar loved batting against the mighty West Indies. Having scored 2,749 runs at an immaculate average of 65.45 against the West Indies, Gavaskar also plummeted three double centuries against them.

Gavaskar scored his second Test double hundred against the Caribbean unit during the 1978/79 series in India. The six-match series was won by India 1-0.

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai hosted the opening Test, where Gavaskar put up a show and entertained his home crowd with a great 342-ball 205-run knock. He helped India post 424 runs in the first innings before the visitors added 493 runs on the back of Alvin Kallicharran's knock of 187 runs.

The match ended as a draw but Gavaskar enjoyed a magnificent series as he made 732 runs at an average of 91.50 across nine innings in the rubber.

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#5 200 off 283 - Virat Kohli in 2016

Virat Kohli scored his first double-century vs West Indies [Getty Images]

Virat Kohli's 200 against the Caribbean unit in 2016 is the latest double ton on this list. Interestingly, it was his maiden double hundred in Test, following which he smoked five more double tons in the span of a year.

After India's heartbreaking exit from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2016, they toured the West Indies for a four-match Test series.

Kohli kicked off the series with a special knock, which featured 24 boundaries. Kohli's 200, along with Ravichandran Ashwin's 113, took India to 566/8 in the first innings.

India bowled out the hosts twice in the next two days and comfortably won the game by an innings and 92 runs.

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#4 212 off 399 - Wasim Jaffer in 2006

Wasim Jaffer raising his bat after a fifty in Tests [Getty Images]

The first knock in this list that came in the second innings of a Test match is Wasim Jaffer's 212 in the Antigua Test in 2006.

India posted only 241 runs in the first innings and trailed by 130 runs when the hosts piled up 371 runs in their first innings. With the game going in the favor of the West Indies, Wasim Jaffer helped India to make a comeback in the match.

Jaffer, who only scored one run in the first innings, played his natural game and dominated the West Indies bowling attack. He played shots down the ground and raced away to a resounding double hundred. This was Jaffer’s first double ton in Tests and his highest score in international cricket.

The match went down the wire as India picked up nine of the required ten wickets on Day 5. However, Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore played out the last remaining overs and helped West Indies draw the game.

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#3 236* off 425 - Sunil Gavaskar in 1983

A monumental day in the legendary Sunil Gavaskar's career came back in 1983 when he scored his personal highest Test score of 236* against the West Indies.

The West Indies' golden generation wreaked havoc in their six-match Test series in India, which they won 3-0.

Gavaskar had a quiet series leading up to the last Test in Chennai. His performance in the previous two games probably caused his confidence to dwindle, and he requested to be put in at four instead of his usual opening position.

When India’s turn came to bat, however, Malcolm Marshall immediately sent back Anshuman Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar so Gavaskar arrived at the crease without a run on the board.

The Caribbean bowlers were unaware of what was about to hit them. Gavaskar, who was adamant about getting India out of trouble, played a masterful innings and went on to score 236* off 425.

Interestingly, after his knock, Gavaskar became the first-ever cricketer to smash 30 Test centuries. His 236* still remains the highest Test score by an Indian against the West Indies.

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#2 212 - Dilip Sardesai in 1971

One of those high-calibre innings which impacted Indian cricket in an enormous way, Dilip Sardesai scored 212 runs in India's tour of the West Indies in 1971.

The Sabina Park track offered great help for the fast bowlers on the opening day of the first Test as India found themselves 75/5 against the likes of Vanburn Holder, Sir Garry Sobers and Grayson Shillingford.

In came Dilip Sardesai, who not only weathered the storm but put the Windies bowling attack on the back foot. In an excellent example of batsmanship, Sardesai clobbered 17 boundaries and a six to take India from being 75/5 to 387/10.

India restricted the hosts to 217 and enforced the follow-on. However, the home side put up a far better show in the second innings and managed to hold on for a draw, reaching 385/5 at the end of the match.

India went on to win the next match in Trinidad, where Sardesai once again scored a century. The next three games ended in draws which meant India pocketed their first-ever Test series against West Indies by 1-0.

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#1 220 - Sunil Gavaskar in 1971

Sunil Gavaskar was a phenomenon against the West Indies [ICC]

One of the greatest innings on West Indies’ soil by an Indian batter came in the same series as Sardesai’s 212. It was the young opener Sunil Gavaskar who struck 220 in the second innings, having already notched up 124 in the first essay in Port of Spain.

Gavaskar made his Test debut in March 1971 against the mighty West Indies at the age of 21, scoring 65 and 67. He made his debut in the second game of the series and smashed his maiden double ton in the fifth and final game.

Smashing 22 boundaries en route to his double hundred, Gavaskar made the host bowlers toil hard and showcased why he was touted to dominate the cricketing world in the years to come.

Gavaskar’s knock was a sign of how his career would unfold over the next decade-and-a-half.