Time has admirably preserved a rare exception in the form of Kraigg Brathwaite, in a world where Test-specialist batting is being relegated to a bygone era. The 32-year-old is prepared to play his 100th Test for West Indies on Wednesday, but he has never participated in a professional T20 match, not even at the national level. and only 10 ODIs.

Cheteshwar Pujara has even played in 70 T20 games, 29 of which were in the IPL. It's strange that Brathwaite isn't there, especially given the current climate and the fact that he hails from a place where the majority of its top players have chosen the money of T20 over Test cricket.

The reasons why Brathwaite never played T20 were never clear, but his meteoric ascent through the ranks was likely thought to be a topic better left unaddressed. Brathwaite was identified for this format early in his career, having made his first-class debut at the age of 16 and being selected to the West Indies Test team at the age of 17. Whether it was 122 in his debut for the U-15 squad or 73 in his first-class debut for Barbados while he was still a student at Combermere high school, Brathwaite presented a fascinating shift to the narrative of West Indian power-hitters not giving a damn about defense.

During this time, leading West Indian players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Kieron Pollard were also opting to join the IPL rather than accepting central contracts. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was more interested in creating a Test-specific lineup headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul than in discussing with them. For this group, Brathwaite received a development deal.

Although he had a score of 0 in each of his first three Tests, his 63 on 212 balls at Delhi in his fourth gave us an indication of Brathwaite's perseverance. Brathwaite was renowned for playing important innings and performing the grunt work as an opener, even if his approach was not flashy and he didn't always have outstanding innings. It increased his reputation as a persistent leader, not simply a batter. As in the well-known Leeds triumph of 2017, when he made 134 and 95, Shai Hope stole the show because he scored a century in each innings.

His batting was also influential in the stalemate Bridgetown Test against England in 2022, where he scored 160 and 56 not out, but more importantly, he faced 673 balls, breaking Brian Lara's record (582 balls) for the most balls faced by a West Indies batter in a Test. Undoubtedly, everyone remembers Lara for that historic 400 in Antigua, but what Brathwaite accomplished was equally revolutionary for West Indian cricket. West Indies had demonstrated their ability to compete for a tie on a fifth-day pitch in fading light for the first time in more than ten years. Additionally, Brathwaite was seen as an exception for selecting a route that no one else wanted to follow.

Even though Brathwaite played ODIs for West Indies for a full year, that practice also came to an end after 2017. When asked why he had never attempted white-ball cricket again, Brathwaite responded, "It's simply unfortunate that every time we have a Test series, it's during our 50-over tournament." Therefore, I don't get the chance to play in that style.

It has proven to be a benefit to Test cricket. Thursday marks the second Test of his career against Australia in Guyana, and it will be the tenth time a Windies player has reached the 100-Test mark. The achievement was not attained by Richie Richardson, Garry Sobers, or Rohan Kanhai.

It was just last year that Brathwaite surpassed Sobers's record of 85 straight Tests at Sabina Park in Jamaica, where he took the opportunity to reaffirm his dedication to the format. Windiescricket.com quoted him as saying, "I'm incredibly appreciative because there is a lot of T10 and T20 cricket in this generation, but Test cricket is the real test, and in the end, I will feel like I've done a very good job for the West Indies."

Nearly by himself. With 12 centuries and 31 fifties, he has accumulated 5,943 runs at an average of 32.83 over 99 trials.

Brathwaite is not a sensory experience to view, even with permission. In today's world, it's hard to get excited about leaving the ball and testing the bowlers' patience. However, we must not be blinded by the fact that Brathwaite has been behind the scenes, directing some significant displays of resistance that have enabled the West Indies to mount a challenge. Brathwaite's unsung heroism in opening the batting is demonstrated by these strange reminders: 955 minutes in Barbados and 813 minutes against Sri Lanka in 2021.

Between 2014 and 2024, Brathwaite had also become one of just five openers in the world to score over 5,000 Test runs, although that average of 32.83 is not worth mentioning in the record books. When Brathwaite plays his 100th Test, this dedication will be on display. And, perhaps, a few more in the future.

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