Sammy lauds Hope after Windies’ record chase against India
Daren Sammy praised Shai Hope’s leadership and match-winning contribution after the visitors chased down 352 to defeat India in the final ODI in New Chandigarh.
Skipper Shai Hope led from the front with an unbeaten 162, guiding West Indies to a memorable victory after India had posted a formidable total.
The West Indies captain's innings came after he had spent the entire Indian innings on the field keeping wickets, making his effort with the bat all the more impressive.
"The skipper stepping up is not anything new to him, but to keep 50 overs and then put on your pads and go and play an innings like that was special,” praised Sammy.
The West Indies head coach was pleased with the way his team measured up against the world’s top-ranked team, highlighting the value of the experience ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 that begins in just under a year.
“We came here knowing the quality that India has and to measure ourselves against a team like that.
"We showed that when we do things consistently well for long enough, we could match the number one team in the world. We will take a lot of learning from this.”
Sammy also spoke about Hope’s leadership style, describing the right-hander as someone who leads through his performances and communicates clearly when required.
Hope’s willingness to take on responsibility was evident when Sammy asked him to open the innings during the chase. The captain responded with a match-defining knock to see the chase through.
“He doesn’t really say much. But when he speaks, he’s quite clear as to what he’s expecting from himself and from the group.”
"I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he’s done for West Indies, how he’s played, and the commitment he’s given us. Class player, great individual,” remarked Sammy.
Sammy also credited his batters for adhering to the team's approach of building partnerships and batting deep, particularly given the challenge of chasing a big total against India.
Aside from Hope making 278 runs over the three ODIs, Amir Jangoo stepped up with three fifty plus scores through the series, making 239 runs for himself, while John Campbell struck 173 runs with a century to his name.
“Even with a batter short, we knew what we’ve been talking in the dressing room about: batter scoring hundreds and batting deep, putting on partnerships, not losing wickets in clusters.
"Once we did that, we had a very strong chance of winning. It’s such a tough place to defend. You’ve got to be confident that whatever the opposition gets on the surface, you can get it too."
On a similar note, during a chat with the broadcasters post the game, Hope revealed an interesting chat that he had with India great MS Dhoni, which changed his perception about chasing down big totals.
"I had a great chat with the great man MS Dhoni, he was telling you always have more time than you think," Hope said.
"Just trying not to focus too much on the end result. Just look at the process, try to break the game down as best as I can and find ways to get the boundaries in the back end."
The two sides meet next in a five-match T20I series, beginning Tuesday, October 6 in Lucknow.