India stun Windies to take ODI series

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Shai Hope’s 13th One-Day International (ODI) hundred in his 100th ODI 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 yesterday.

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 10 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.

Triple figures

The right-handed Barbadian reached both his landmarks in style – launching leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal over square leg to reach his 50 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.”