Hope springs eternal as captain steers WI to victory over India

Captain Shai Hope kept wickets for 50 overs in the heat of New PCA Stadium, before a finger injury and a hospital visit for Jewel Andrew meant he had to open the batting.

Despite battling a niggle, Hope stayed through 48.2 overs and lived up to the meaning of his surname to finish on an unbeaten 162 as the West Indies chased down 352 and beat India by five wickets on Saturday.

Hope’s majestic 162 was laced with 17 boundaries and three hits over the fence at a strike rate of 113.29, as the West Indies achieved their highest successful ODI chase and their first ODI win over India since 2023. The result gave them a consolation win in a series, as India ended with a 2-1 scoreline.

Chasing 352, Hope and John Campbell were right on the money from the word go – as they hit eight boundaries between themselves in the first four overs.

But Mohammed Siraj broke the stand with an inswinger that castled Campbell for 10, shortly after Gurnoor Brar had put him down at third man.

Amir Jangoo then settled in alongside Hope to hit boundaries off Siraj and debutant Anshul Kamboj. After Hope got his half-century off 46 balls, Jangoo reached his fifty off 47 balls with a pulled six off Nitish Kumar Reddy, as their stand crossed 100 in the 18th over.

Both were lucky to be given lives - Jangoo got one when Virat Kohli failed to hold a catch at point, as he became only the fifth batter to make fifty-plus scores in each of his first three ODI innings in India.

The partnership ended at 109 off 103 balls when Jangoo, on 67, was run out after Kohli’s throw from mid-wicket hit the stumps at the bowler’s end following a mix-up. Sherfane Rutherford fell for 24, given caught behind off debutant Naman Dhir, though he was unconvinced over edging behind.

Hope carried on to punch, heave and bring out his stunning back-foot shots to reach his 21st ODI hundred in the 34th over - his second successive century and fifth against India. He did not celebrate, and only adjusted his bat grip as Keemo Paul congratulated him.

Even as the West Indies surged ahead, India’s body language was flat. KL Rahul went off after the 22nd over, with Dhruv Jurel taking the gloves, and Brar limped off with a left ankle problem. Nine catches went down in the match - six by the West Indies and three by India, equalling the ODI record.

Paul counter-attacked with 44 off 35 balls, five of them coming off fours, and added 65 for the fourth wicket before being caught at deep square leg off Brar. Matthew Forde made seven before Kuldeep Yadav took him out. With 66 runs needed from seven overs, Hope pressed the accelerator by sweeping Kuldeep for four and hit him for an 83-metre six down the ground in the 45th over to take the visitors past 300.

After Brar was sent for three boundaries, one of which came off Gudakesh Motie’s willow, the 48th over proved to be costly for India. Kamboj overstepped with Hope on 146, and the batter heaved the no-ball over mid-on to reach 150. Hope then hit the free hit for four as well, even as Motie pulled him for two boundaries to get 22 runs off it.

Hope finished the chase by slogging Dhir for six over deep backward square leg to level the scores, and then pushed a single to long-off to complete a remarkable win for the West Indies with 10 balls to spare.

Brief scores: India 351/7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 129 not out, Rohit Sharma 92; Jayden Seales 3-62, Keemo Paul 2-71) lost to West Indies 352/5 in 48.2 overs (Shai Hope 162 not out, Amir Jangoo 67; Naman Dhir 1-33, Mohammed Siraj 1-52) by five wickets --IANS nr/bsk

Agencies