New Delhi:<\/b> Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has credited Shai Hope\u2019s composure and shot selection for the West Indies\u2019 batting success against India in the ongoing white-ball series, while highlighting Keemo Paul\u2019s decisive bowling spell as a turning point in the visitors\u2019 latest victory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Assessing the West Indies\u2019 performance after their win over India, Pujara pointed to the visitors\u2019 calculated aggression, their ability to exploit errors in the Indian bowling attack and the pressure they created across both innings, warning that the hosts would need greater discipline and variation in Bengaluru. He also identified Hope\u2019s approach at the crease as a major reason behind his remarkable consistency throughout the series. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cShai Hope has been a problem for India in this white-ball series against the West Indies and what stands out is that he does not rely on blind slogging. He backs his natural game and picks his gaps. That is why he scores so quickly without taking too many risks. The way he times the ball, plays normal cricketing shots, and knows his areas well is what makes him so effective. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe\u2019s also a good player of spin because this pitch was a little challenging for the batters to dominate the spinners. But he had a lot of clarity. When a batter has that kind of control, it becomes very difficult for the bowlers to build pressure. Once he\u2019s set, he\u2019s a hard player to stop. And if you look at his strike rate, it has been phenomenal throughout the series. His four hundreds are now the most by any batter on a tour of India and he has been the standout performer in this T20I series and the numbers prove it,\u201d Pujara told JioStar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Hope\u2019s contributions have stood out with the bat, Pujara reserved special praise for Keemo Paul, whose intervention with the ball proved instrumental in the West Indies\u2019 success. Paul made an immediate impact by dismissing Sanju Samson with his first delivery before removing Ishan Kishan in the same over. He returned in the 19th over to deliver another decisive blow with a three-wicket over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis win was all about Keemo Paul. He struck gold with his very first delivery of the game, getting the big wicket of Sanju Samson, who got caught at deep backward square-leg. Paul then got rid of Ishan Kishan in the same over and then came back to seal it in the 19th over with a three-wicket over. With their backs against the wall and both the last two games being must-wins, West Indies have not only avoided a series defeat for now but also sent the hosts a strong message that they are here to win,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pujara also pointed to the collective effort of the West Indies batters, particularly Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, in exposing weaknesses in India\u2019s bowling plans. According to the former India batter, the visitors\u2019 attacking intent was complemented by their sharp reading of lengths, leaving the Indian bowlers with little room for error.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe way the West Indian batters went after us in the powerplay, and even after the powerplay, the Indian bowlers didn\u2019t hit the right lengths. They didn\u2019t show a lot of variations in their bowling. But sometimes you also need to appreciate the kind of batting the West Indies players produced, the kind of shots they played, especially Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford. All three of them were key players in their side\u2019s victory. They were exceptional. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pujara also pointed to the collective effort of the West Indies batters, particularly Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, in exposing weaknesses in India\u2019s bowling plans. According to the former India batter, the visitors\u2019 attacking intent was complemented by their sharp reading of lengths, leaving the Indian bowlers with little room for error.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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