WI vs AUS 2025: Kraigg Brathwaite looks back on journey to 100 Tests for West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite will etch his name into the history books on Thursday, July 3, when he takes the field against Australia, as he will become just the 10th cricketer to play 100 Test matches for the West Indies. In doing so, he will join an elite group including the legendary likes of Sir Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Gordon Greenidge and Chris Gayle.

Brathwaite has become a cornerstone of the West Indies’ red-ball setup. In his 99-Test career so far, he has scored 5943 runs, including 12 centuries. He has also led the team in 39 of those matches. Braithwaite also holds the record of facing most deliveries in Test innings for a West Indian in Test cricket, as he faced a whopping 673 deliveries for his 216-run knock against England at Bridgetown in 2022. His performances earned him a place in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year in 2022.

Brathwaite made his debut in 2011 as an 18-year-old, but the seeds were sown much earlier. At just 14, he boldly declared that he would play 100 Tests for the West Indies. Come 2025, his dream is set to materialise.

“I set that goal when I was probably 14 years old — to play 100 Tests. Now I’m here, 18 years later, playing my hundredth Test for the West Indies. I’m very thankful, and I just want to be an inspiration for younger guys to follow. I didn’t want to just be another player — I wanted to make an impact,” Brathwaite said to ICC.

Brathwaite made his Test debut in May 2011 against Pakistan in Basseterre, scoring 15 and 0. However, it did not take long for him to find his rhythm. In his third Test, he scored a half-century against Bangladesh in Mirpur, a knock that sparked a run of good form. He followed it up with three more fifties in his next four matches against India and Australia.

“I wanted to play for the West Indies from young — but I wasn’t sure I could do it on the big stage. As I played more, the belief came that I could get this job done. Pretty much, from my second or third game, I had the belief that I could do it,” Brathwaite said.

It took Brathwaite three years to register his maiden Test century, which came against New Zealand in Port of Spain in 2014. The innings proved to be a turning point in his career, helping him cement his place as a dependable presence at the top of the West Indies batting order.

“My first 100 against New Zealand was a feeling I can't really describe. I didn’t believe that I would have been that close to a Test century, and then getting it, I could not believe that I scored 100 for West Indies. That really meant a lot and helped me going forward, to know that I can get it done,” Brathwaite said.

“New Zealand was a young team at the time. They were doing very good things and to get it against them, I felt proud. That gave me the belief that I could get the job done,” he added.

A few months after his maiden century, Brathwaite went on to score his first double hundred, 212 against Bangladesh in Kingstown. He capped off a remarkable 2014 with a Boxing Day century in South Africa, finishing the year with 701 runs at an average of 77.88, his second-best in a calendar year.

The 32-year-old has looked back on his journey with gratitude. He credited his success to a simple but powerful mantra: dream big, work hard, and stay disciplined.

“Grenada is a special place for me and I’m looking forward to playing my 100th Test match. I'm very happy and thankful to be here and honoured to be playing for the West Indies. Whatever it may be, from a young age you can set your goals and targets that you want to achieve in life. Whatever it may be, from a young age you can set your goals and targets that you want to achieve in life,” he concluded.