Hope leads West Indies to five-wicket win over India in third ODI
Skipper Shai Hope struck a peerless unbeaten 162, stealing the thunder from KL Rahul’s classy 129 not out as the West Indies scored a consolation five-wicket win over India in the third and final ODI here on Saturday.
India won the series 2-1, courtesy triumphs at Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati. Hope’s 21st ODI hundred, which came off 143 balls, carried the Windies past India’s 351 for seven, which was constructed around Rahul’s 87-ball knock.
West Indies ended up at 352 for five, their highest successful chase in one-day cricket.
Facing a mountain, the West Indies came out with intent, racing to 78 in the powerplay despite losing John Campbell, who was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj.
Hope was handed a reprieve by Gurnoor Brar and made India pay heavily, bringing up his fifty in just 46 balls. Amir Jangoo then joined him in a fluent partnership, scoring 67 off 56 balls with five fours and a six.
His innings ended when he was run out while attempting a second run after a misfield by Virat Kohli.
Hope continued to keep the asking rate under control and brought up his century from 104 balls, his second hundred in the series.
It was also his fourth ODI century against India in India.
With the visitors firmly in the chase, Hope and Sherfane Rutherford took them past 200 in the 29th over.
Spinner Naman Dhir broke the stand, dismissing Rutherford, who was caught behind.
Keemo Paul then joined Hope and the pair forged another fifty-run stand, keeping the West Indies within touching distance of the target.
Brar, who had earlier gone out of the field with a left ankle issue, returned and provided India with a brief opening by dismissing Paul in the 41st over. Kuldeep Yadav, who had kept things tight throughout, finally got his reward when he dismissed Matthew Forde in the penultimate over of his spell.
With the asking rate climbing, Hope took on Kuldeep in his final over, launching the first ball straight for a six before sweeping a googly over fine leg for four as the West Indies crossed 300.
He then struck Brar for three boundaries in the 47th over. Debutante Anshul Kamboj’s ninth over, however, proved to be decisive as Hope and Gudakesh Motie smashed 22 runs from it, leaving just seven needed from the final two overs.
Hope finished the chase in emphatic fashion, hitting the first ball of the penultimate over for a six before completing the winning runs off the next delivery to seal a record chase and a memorable five-wicket victory. But India lorded the first half of the match, thanks to Rahul, who struck his 9th ODI hundred, and Rohit Sharma’s fighting 92. Jayden Seales struck twice early, removing Shubman Gill (1) and Virat Kohli (0) in the same over, as India were left in trouble on a surface that offered some assistance to the pacers.
Rohit, however, settled into his innings alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad and the pair gradually wrested control from the West Indies attack.
Rohit brought up his 63rd ODI fifty in the 18th over and then took on Alzarri Joseph with back-to-back boundaries as the partnership gathered pace.
The former skipper fell eight runs short of a hundred when he attempted to pull Paul and was caught by Jewel Andrew, while Gaikwad followed his senior teammate five balls later as Seales took his third wicket.
India were then 160 for four with more than 21 overs still remaining, but Rahul ensured the hosts finished with a formidable total.
The wicketkeeper-batter initially rebuilt with Naman Dhir, who scored a brisk 30 off 21 balls, before Rahul shifted gears in spectacular fashion.
He brought up his century in 80 balls and then went into overdrive in the final stages, taking 21 runs from the last over.
Rahul reached the three-figure mark with a six over fine leg before launching another maximum towards the sight screen off Seales, taking India past the 350-run mark.
