West Indies captain Shai Hope produced a masterclass at the New PCA Stadium on Saturday, striking an unbeaten 162 to guide his team to a historic five-wicket victory over India. Tasked with chasing a formidable target of 352, the tourists achieved their highest successful ODI chase and secured their first win against India since 2023, though the hosts still claimed the series 2-1. Despite battling a niggle, Hope stayed through 48.2 overs and lived up to the meaning of his surname to finish on an unbeaten 162 as the West Indies chased down 352 and beat India by five wickets on Saturday. As India ended with a 2-1 scoreline, the result gave them a consolation win in a series.
Hope’s monumental effort began under challenging circumstances. After keeping wickets for the full 50 overs in intense heat, he was forced to open the batting due to a finger injury sustained by Jewel Andrew, which required a hospital visit. Despite physical discomfort, Hope stayed at the crease for 48.2 overs, anchoring the innings with 17 boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 113.29.
The opening partnership with John Campbell showed early promise with eight boundaries in the first four overs, but the momentum was briefly checked when Mohammed Siraj bowled Campbell for 10. Amir Jangoo then joined the captain, contributing a crucial 67 and becoming the fifth batter in history to score fifty-plus in each of his first three ODI innings in India. Their 109-run stand was eventually broken following a mix-up that saw Jangoo run out by Virat Kohli. Shortly after Gurnoor Brar had put him down at third man, but Mohammed Siraj broke the stand with an inswinger that castled Campbell for 10. After Hope got his half-century off 46 balls, Jangoo reached his fifty off 47 balls with a pulled six off Nitish Kumar Reddy, as their stand crossed 100 in the 18th over. On 67, was run out after Kohli’s throw from mid-wicket hit the stumps at the bowler’s end following a mix-up, the partnership ended at 109 off 103 balls when Jangoo. Heave and bring out his stunning back-foot shots to reach his 21st ODI hundred in the 34th over – his second successive century and fifth against India, hope carried on to punch.
India struggled with intensity throughout the innings, compounded by injuries to KL Rahul, who departed after 22 overs, and Gurnoor Brar, who suffered an ankle issue. The match was marked by uncharacteristic sloppiness in the field, with both teams combining for nine dropped catches, matching an all-time ODI record.
As the required rate intensified, Hope found strong support from Keemo Paul, who added 44 runs off 35 balls. With 66 runs needed from the final seven overs, the captain shifted gears. He struck a massive 83-metre six against Kuldeep Yadav in the 45th over to push the total past 300. The 48th over proved decisive; after Anshul Kamboj bowled a no-ball, Hope smashed a free hit for four, helping the pair accumulate 22 runs in that over.
Hope finalized the remarkable chase by slogging Naman Dhir for a six over deep backward square leg to level the scores, then calmly pushed a single to long-off to seal the win with 10 balls remaining. Earlier, India had posted 351/7, led by KL Rahul’s 129 not out and Rohit Sharma’s 92, while Jayden Seales claimed 3-62 for the visitors. Given caught behind off debutant Naman Dhir, though he was unconvinced over edging behind, sherfane Rutherford fell for 24.
The final scorecard reflected a high-scoring thriller: India finished at 351/7, while the West Indies reached 352/5 in 48.2 overs. This victory serves as a significant confidence booster for the West Indies, rounding off a challenging series with a high-stakes performance that saw their captain rise to the occasion under pressure.
