Hope inspires West Indies to record win over India
West Indies chased down a target of 352 to secure a famous win in New Chandigarh.
West Indies finished the ODI leg of their India tour in style, creating history during their win in New Chandigarh.
Shai Hope's 162* carried the bat as West Indies chased down 352 against India, their highest score in a successful ODI run-chase. Their previous best (331/5) was against Ireland in 2019.
Hope is the first-ever wicketkeeper-captain to score over 150 runs in an ODI innings.
Hope's knock was the highest-ever score by a West Indies men's batter in a successful run-chase, breaking a 33-year-old national record set by Brian Lara. Lara had scored 153 against Pakistan in Sharjah in 1993.
It was also the second-highest score by a captain in a successful ODI chase, bettered only by his counterpart in the ODI series. Shubman Gill had smashed 223* in the second game of the series, which gave India an unassailable lead in Guwahati.
West Indies might have lost the series, but impressed with their application and grit against the higher-ranked India.
India won the toss and elected to bat first on what looked like a decent batting wicket. They brought in Mohammed Siraj, Nitish Kumar Reddy and handed a debut to Anshul Kamboj.
Jayden Seales ensured the best possible start for the West Indies, getting India skipper Shubman Gill (1) and Virat Kohli (0) off back-to-back balls. Rohit Sharma then rebuilt the innings alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The duo were watchful before unleashing their strokes and as Rohit grew in confidence, a 36th ODI hundred seemed imminent. However, Keemo Paul got the better of Rohit (92) in the 25th over, and Gaikwad (57) followed soon after to leave India in trouble.
KL Rahul, batting for the first time in the series, took charge thereafter. Getting handy support from Naman Dhir (30 off 21) and Kamboj (17 off nine), Rahul scored a quick fifty and looked to lift India past 300. Despite wickets tumbling at the other end, Rahul managed to bring up a ninth ODI ton, getting India into a strong position.
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Rahul finished unbeaten on 129, with 16 boundaries including six sixes to his name.
Chasing 352 for a consolation win, West Indies needed the perfect start, and Shai Hope provided exactly the same. Unleashing an array of attractive strokes, the West Indies skipper had his team going at over 10 in the first four overs. Mohammed Siraj cleaned up John Campbell off the first ball of the fifth over, but Amir Jangoo ensured that West Indies continued striking at close to eight runs an over till the 10 over mark.
The duo kept it steady in the middle overs, despite the introduction of Kuldeep Yadav. Both Hope and Jangoo completed their respective half-centuries and looked set on a wicket expected to favour the batting further. At the 20th over, West Indies were well on track in their chase at 148/1.
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Shai Hope went big early in his innings and he cleared the rope with a massive six
Against the run of play, Jangoo was run out due to a miscommunication after Hope had dispatched a ball towards the leg-side, which was stopped by Kohli, and failed to return to his end as Naman Dhir broke the bails in the 21st over.
Hope, however, kept on going from the other end. He found support from Sherfane Rutherford (24) and later Keemo Paul, and secured his 21st ODI hundred in the 34th over.
While Hope played the anchor, Paul opened up his arms and unleashed an array of attacking strokes. With two set batters and an asking rate of 8.1, West Indies held the advantage going into the last 10 overs.
Gurnoor Brar, who had briefly left the field due to an injury, returned then to strike in the 41st over for India, getting rid of the dangerous Paul (44). With Jewel Andrew hampered by injury and a long tail in play, West Indies’ chances fell now on an exhausted Hope.
The West Indian skipper kept ticking along but India managed to string up dot balls to get the asking rate to 11.2 an over at the 45-over mark.
It was then that Hope took on India's bowling with a flurry of boundaries and closed the gap for the West Indies. He reached his 150 in the 48th over mark with a boundary. Gudakesh Motie (19*) helped the cause with a cameo of his own, and West Indies eventually crossed the line with 10 balls to spare.
India took the series 2-1, and now the two teams will meet in a five-game T20I series beginning from 6 October in Lucknow.