PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Shai Hope’s 13th One-Day International hundred in his 100th ODI for the West Indies went in vain as India pulled off the highest-ever one-day run chase at Queen’s Park Oval and third-highest in the region, to stun West Indies by two wickets here Sunday.
Set 312 for victory after Hope carved out 115 off 135 deliveries at the top of the order, India plundered 100 runs from the last ten overs to get over the line with two balls to spare, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series and clinching their 12th consecutive series win over the hosts
They required eight runs from the last over but scraped only two runs from the first three balls to increase tensions, before Man-of-the-Match Axar Patel struck a high full toss from seamer Kyle Mayers for a straight six to end the game.
Axar, entering the contest at number seven, blasted an astonishing top score of 64 not out off 35 deliveries, while Shreyas Iyer punched 63 off 71 balls at number three and Sanju Samson, 54 off 51 deliveries.
“We knew this is a [good] wicket and in the back of our minds we knew if they can do it, we can also do it so we had that self-belief,” said captain Shikhar Dhawan.
“The way the boys took the challenge and didn’t lose their self-belief, that was quite amazing.”
For West Indies, the defeat was their second agonising result in three days after they narrowly missed out by three runs in pursuit of 309 in the opening ODI at the same venue.
They looked in control throughout, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (2-46) and Mayers (2-48) making critical strikes to help limit India to 212 for five after 40 overs, before Axar’s brilliant intervention that was laced with three fours and five sixes.
“[We lost it] definitely at the end there in the last couple overs. Congrats to Team India for winning the game,” said West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran.
“I felt like they stuck in there and got over the line but I think in the last six overs is where we lost the game.”
Hope’s third ODI hundred this year provided the foundation for West Indies’ 311 for six off their 50 overs, after they opted to bat first.
Left-hander Pooran slammed 74 from 77 deliveries while Mayers (39) and Shamarh Brooks (35), helped propel the Caribbean side to their second 300-plus total in as many outings.
Hope struck eight fours and three sixes, adding 65 with Mayers for the first wicket, 62 for the second wicket with Brooks before adding a further 117 for the fourth wicket with Pooran who belted a four and half-dozen sixes in scoring his second half-century in three innings.
The right-handed Barbadian reached both his landmarks in style – launching leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal over square leg to reach his fifty in the 21st over before smashing the same bowler for a straight six to bring up triple figures in the 45th over
“It was just full of emotions,” Hope said at the innings break, after becoming the fourth West Indies batsman to score a hundred in his 100th ODI.
“I’m just pleased to be here representing West Indies.
“As a kid you wanted to come out and play for West Indies and to get a hundred games and to get a hundred in the hundredth game means a lot to me.”
He put on a further 33 for the fifth wicket with Rovman Powell (13) before finally holing out to deep cover in the penultimate over from seamer Shardul Thakur who was India’s best bowler with three for 54.
In reply, Gill provided India with their early momentum, lashing five fours to post 48 with Dhawan (13) before both fell in the space of six overs to leave the tourists on 66 for two in the 16th over.
And when Mayers picked up his second wicket by getting Suryakumar Yadav (9) to play on in the 18th over, India were stumbling on 79 for three and falling behind.
However, Shreyas led his side’s recovery, striking four fours and a six in adding 99 for the fourth wicket with Samson who punched three fours and three sixes.
The balance shifted again when both perished to leave India on 205 for five in the 39th over but Axar turned the game in India’s favour again by inspiring a 51-run sixth wicket stand with Deepak Hooda (33), before holding his nerve at the death.
(CMC)
