In a high-scoring thriller in New Chandigarh, Shai Hope orchestrated a historic victory for West Indies, comfortably navigating a mammoth 352-run target to defeat India in the series finale. Despite the demanding nature of a full 50-over spell behind the stumps, Hope remained at the crease to anchor the innings, finishing with a brilliant unbeaten 162 to secure a consolation win with 10 balls remaining.
India’s Batting Rollercoaster
India elected to bat first and introduced debutant Anshul Kamboj to the lineup, but the early stages proved disastrous. Jayden Seales decimated the top order in the third over, dismissing Shubman Gill for just one run and sending Virat Kohli back for a golden duck. Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad staged a determined rescue mission, navigating a difficult start to reach 28/2 after 11 overs. Rohit eventually accelerated the scoring, finding his rhythm before falling just eight runs shy of a century after mistiming a pull shot. Opting to bat after winning the toss in the dead rubber, India handed Anshul Kamboj a debut. Gill, who had already smashed a century and a double century in the series, edged a delivery down the leg side to fall for 1 and Kohli departed for a golden duck in the same over by Jayden Seales. The fact that they breached 350 from here was remarkable with Rohit kickstarting the recovery. Rohit switched gears with a six whereas Gaikwad was living a charmed life with the West Indies fielders repeatedly putting him down. With Gaikwad also catching up with his third six of the innings, rohit managed to bring up his fifty and went on a boundary-hitting spree to boost India’s run rate. Rohit looked well on course to bringing up another ODI century but he mistimed a pull to fall 8 short of three figures. The Indian wicketkeeper had Naman Dhir for company and both batters counterattacked to put West Indies on the backfoot but the visitors sensed an opportunity when Dhir and Nitish Reddy failed to make a substantial impact.
As the innings progressed, KL Rahul took center stage. After anchoring through the middle overs, he accelerated during the final stages, smashing a series of boundaries to reach 129 not out. With useful contributions from the lower order—including impactful hits from Gurnoor Brar and Kamboj—India posted a formidable 351/7, seemingly positioning themselves for a comfortable win.
West Indies’ Historic Response
- The chase began aggressively with John Campbell setting an electric tempo before Mohammed Siraj provided a vital breakthrough.
- Amir Jangoo rose to the occasion, partnering with Hope for a crucial century stand that kept the required run rate well within manageable limits.
- Although Jangoo fell for 67, Hope maintained his composure, reaching his 21st career ODI century and managing the partnership dynamics throughout the latter half of the innings.
- Facing an equation of 81 runs required from the final 60 balls, Keemo Paul provided necessary support until the death overs.
- Despite a momentary stall after losing quick wickets and managing the absence of the injured Jewel Andrew, Hope launched a calculated assault on the Indian bowlers.
- The captain exploited fielding restrictions and took apart the death-bowling rotation, highlighted by a pivotal 22-run over from Kamboj, to effectively extinguish India’s hopes.
The visiting side showed immense resilience, refusing to buckle under the pressure of such a daunting score. By consistently finding boundaries in the closing stages, Hope ensured his side finished at 352/5 in 48.2 overs. This victory serves as a testament to the Caribbean side’s offensive capabilities, as they successfully chased down their highest total in one-day cricket, capping off the tour with a spirited performance.
