Hope relishes India challenge

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (CMC):

West Indies captain Shai Hope says he is eagerly anticipating the chance to test his side against the world’s best when their One-Day International series against India bowls off today.

The 10th-ranked West Indies enter the three-match series as heavy underdogs, having not won a series on the subcontinent in more than two decades. And with the regional team still needing to go through qualifiers for the 2027 ICC World Cup, Hope stressed that the opportunity to face India at home was one the Windies must embrace.

“Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge, and it’s one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace,” Hope said at yesterday’s pre-match press conference. “When you come here, you expect the best of the best. It’s a great indicator for us to see where we are as a team. Playing anyone in their home conditions will always be challenging, but it’s something that we always look forward to.”

He added: “When you’re playing international cricket, you want to play against the best. When they are playing in their home conditions, you get the real test. So, we’re definitely looking forward to it and it’s going to be an exciting one for us.”

Hope’s form will be crucial if the West Indies are to compete. He boasts an impressive ODI record in India, scoring 512 runs in 11 matches at an average of 56.88.

“I pride myself a lot on trying to be the best that I can be, and one of those things is that you have to be able to adapt,” he explained. “Adaptability in different conditions and playing against different opposition. It’s not always going to work out … but I really try to focus on the fine details to give myself the best chance to score runs. Here in India, you’ve got to play differently than when you go to Australia or England or even back in the Caribbean.”

Hope said he emphasises preparation and attention to detail in team discussions. “It’s just about being very critical of the way you go about your training and preparation … Just try to pay close attention to detail and the way we go about preparing and analysing the opposition and the conditions that we play in.”

The skipper also expects younger players such as Vitel Lawes, Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew to seize the moment.

“It’s a very exciting time I would say for these players,” Hope said. “Whenever you come to India, it’s one tour you look forward to … Looking at the group that we have now, a few of the guys haven’t been in India, haven’t played in these conditions before. I look at it as an exciting time. We want to win all the time … but for me, personally, as a leader, I want to see progression. I want to see how fast we can adapt against the best in the world and how we can compete.”