3rd ODI: Hope's Unbeaten 162 Overshadows Rahul’s 129* As WI Beat India By Five Wickets (ld)

3rd ODI: Hopes unbeaten 162 overshadows Rahul’s 129* as WI beat India by five wickets (ld) (New Chandigarh: India vs West Indies 3rd ODI)

Captain Shai Hope:  Captain Shai Hope kept wickets for 50 overs in the heat of New PCA Stadium, before a finger injury and a hospital visit for Jewel Andrew meant he had to open the batting. 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.

In what was also the first men’s ODI played at the venue, KL Rahul stepped up to hit a career-best 129 not out off 87 balls. Fifties from Rohit Sharma (92) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (57) also helped in taking India to 351/7. But Hope had other ideas -- his majestic 162 was laced with 17 boundaries and three hits over the fence at a strike rate of 113.29, as the West Indies achieved their highest successful ODI chase and their first ODI win over India since 2023.

The result gave them a consolation win in a series, as India ended with a 2-1 scoreline, though they will be worried about a lack of incisiveness in their back-up bowling options. Chasing 352, Hope and John Campbell were right on the money from the word go – as they hit eight boundaries between themselves in the first four overs. But Mohammed Siraj broke the stand with an inswinger that castled Campbell for 10, shortly after Gurnoor Brar had put him down at third man.

Amir Jangoo then settled in alongside Hope to hit boundaries off Siraj and debutant Anshul Kamboj. 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. Both were lucky to be given lives - Jangoo got one when Virat Kohli failed to hold a catch at point, as he became only the fifth batter to make fifty-plus scores in each of his first three ODI innings in India.

The partnership ended at 109 off 103 balls when Jangoo, on 67, was run out after Kohli's throw from mid-wicket hit the stumps at the bowler's end following a mix-up. Sherfane Rutherford fell for 24, given caught behind off debutant Naman Dhir, though he was unconvinced over edging behind.

Hope carried on to punch, 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. He did not celebrate, and only adjusted his bat grip as Keemo Paul congratulated him.

Even as the West Indies surged ahead, India's body language was flat. KL Rahul went off after the 22nd over, with Dhruv Jurel taking the gloves, and Brar limped off with a left ankle problem. Nine catches went down in the match - six by the West Indies and three by India, equalling the ODI record.

Paul counter-attacked with 44 off 35 balls, five of them coming off fours, and added 65 for the fourth wicket before being caught at deep square leg off Brar. Matthew Forde made seven before Kuldeep Yadav took him out. With 66 runs needed from seven overs, Hope pressed the accelerator by sweeping Kuldeep for four and hit him for an 83-metre six down the ground in the 45th over to take the visitors past 300.

After Brar was sent for three boundaries, one of which came off Gudakesh Motie’s willow, the 48th over proved to be costly for India. Kamboj overstepped with Hope on 146, and the batter heaved the no-ball over mid-on to reach 150. Hope then hit the free hit for four as well, even as Motie pulled him for two boundaries to get 22 runs off it.

Hope finished the chase by slogging Dhir for six over deep backward square leg to level the scores, and then pushed a single to long-off to complete a remarkable win for the West Indies with 10 balls to spare.

Before this, after electing to bat first, India's innings began badly. Shubman Gill, who had made a hundred and a double hundred in the first two games, was caught down the leg side by Hope off Jayden Seales for one. Virat Kohli was bowled off the first ball, beaten on the flick as the delivery held its line to castle him through the game, as India were reduced to 4/2 inside three overs.

Rohit and Gaikwad steadied things, though it was slow going. Rohit survived an LBW shout and a West Indies review that showed the ball missing the stumps, and India closed the Powerplay on 28/2, among their lowest totals in the ten-over phase in recent years. After the first ten overs, Rohit changed gears, going after Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph, and in the process became the quickest to 10,000 ODI runs as an opener, in 202 innings.

Gaikwad was dropped four times but made the most of the reprieves, hitting a boundary and four sixes in his 57 off 69 balls and reaching his fifty. Rohit got to his half-century off 58 balls, and the hundred stand came up when he slog-swept Vitel Lawes for six. Lawes had a miserable day, conceding 54 runs in five overs, and later limped off with a left calf problem.

Rohit fell eight short of a hundred after top-edging a pull off to deep mid-wicket off Paul. His 92 had ten fours and three sixes, and the stand with Gaikwad was worth 137. Seales then removed Gaikwad when a ball bounced more than he expected and lobbed to backward point. At 160/4, the game was finely poised.

Rahul, batting for the first time this series, picked singles and waited to get going. Debutant Naman Dhir hit his first international boundaries off Seales and pulled Joseph and Gudakesh Motie for six each before chipping Motie to cover for 30 off 21. That ended a 65-run stand, and Rahul had reached his fifty off 41 balls by then.

Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled for fluency and nicked Paul behind for nine. Debutant Anshul Kamboj lit up the closing stages with two sixes in one Motie over, but his 17 off nine balls ended in a run-out after a mix-up with Rahul. With Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar giving him the strike, Rahul took absolute charge.

A short ball on leg stump from Seales in the 49th over was helped over fine leg for his ninth ODI hundred, off 80 balls. He pulled off his helmet, spread his arms wide and was hugged by Brar in mid-pitch. Paul then offered two full tosses that were sent over the leg side, and Rahul ended the innings with a heave through mid-wicket for two. India piled up 105 runs in the last 60 balls, though it all went in vain in the face of Hope’s brilliance.

Brief scores:

A short ball on leg stump from Seales in the 49th over was helped over fine leg for his ninth ODI hundred, off 80 balls. He pulled off his helmet, spread his arms wide and was hugged by Brar in mid-pitch. Paul then offered two full tosses that were sent over the leg side, and Rahul ended the innings with a heave through mid-wicket for two. India piled up 105 runs in the last 60 balls, though it all went in vain in the face of Hope’s brilliance.

Article Source: IANS