West Indies ended the ODI series on a high as Shai Hope’s unbeaten 162 helped them chase down India’s 352-run target with five wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare in New Chandigarh. India had already secured the series after winning the first two games, but West Indies produced their best performance of the series to avoid a clean sweep.
KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 had earlier taken India to 351/7 after they were reduced to 28/2 inside the first 10 overs. However, Shai Hope’s composed century and a strong supporting cast allowed West Indies to complete their highest successful ODI chase.
India rocked early, but Rohit Sharma responds
India’s innings began with West Indies immediately on top. Shubman Gill was dismissed for just one before Jayden Seales removed Virat Kohli for a golden duck, leaving India 4/2. With the top order under pressure, Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad shifted the momentum through a 137-run partnership. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, the pair rebuilt the innings and ensured India had a platform to accelerate later.
Rohit looked set for another century after scoring 92 off 85 balls, while Gaikwad contributed 57 from 69. Their partnership took India from early trouble to 141/3, giving the middle order the opportunity to push towards a competitive total. Seales eventually removed Gaikwad for his third wicket, but the damage had already been done.
KL Rahul turns up the pressure
KL Rahul then transformed India’s innings. Coming in during the rebuilding phase, Rahul initially played himself in before increasing the tempo. His fifty came from 41 balls, but his second fifty required only 39 deliveries.
With Naman Dhir providing a quick 30, Rahul took advantage of the final phase to push India beyond 350. He remained unbeaten on 129 from 87 balls, striking 10 fours and six sixes. India finished on 351/7, recovering impressively from their early collapse. The total looked strong enough to put West Indies under significant pressure, particularly with India having already dominated the first two matches of the series.
Hope and Jangoo change the chase
West Indies’ response began positively, but Mohammed Siraj removed John Campbell for 10 with the score on 41. That wicket did little to slow the chase. Amir Jangoo joined Hope and immediately put pressure back on India. The pair kept the scoreboard moving and refused to allow the required rate to become a problem.
Their 109-run partnership was the turning point of the chase. Jangoo scored 67 from 56 balls, while Hope remained in control at the other end Jangoo was eventually run out in the 21st over, but West Indies had already established the platform required for the chase. Hope had reached fifty from 46 balls and was beginning to take control of the innings.
West Indies keep India under pressure
Sherfane Rutherford continued the momentum with a useful 24, while Hope maintained the chase through another important partnership. Keemo Paul then joined him and played the aggressive supporting role West Indies needed. His 44 off 35 balls, including five fours, helped add 65 for the fourth wicket.
By the time Paul departed in the 41st over, West Indies were 271/4 and required only 81 runs. Matthew Forde fell soon afterwards, but Hope was still at the crease. That became India’s biggest problem.
Shai Hope finishes in style
With West Indies at 290/5, the equation was 62 runs from 39 balls. This was India’s opportunity to force the game into a final phase of pressure, but Hope ensured that never happened. He shifted gears after reaching his century, attacking the bowlers instead of allowing India to build dots and pressure. Gudakesh Motie provided valuable support with an unbeaten 19.
The pair added 62 runs from just 29 balls, taking West Indies over the line with 10 deliveries remaining. Hope finished unbeaten on 162 from 143 balls, with 17 fours and three sixes. West Indies’ slkipper became the highest individual score by a West Indies batter in a successful ODI chase, surpassing Brian Lara’s 153 against Pakistan in 1993.
Concerns for India
The biggest concern for India was not their batting. After recovering from 28/2 and reaching 351/7, India had put themselves in a strong position. But the bowling attack struggled to stop West Indies’ momentum once Hope and Jangoo established their partnership. Jayden Seales was the standout bowler for West Indies with 3/62, while Keemo Paul took 2/71.
For India, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took one wicket each, but the bowling attack could not produce the breakthrough needed once Hope settled in. The difficult outing for debutant Anshul Kamboj also added to India’s problems. He finished wicketless after conceding 82 runs in nine overs.
West Indies finish with a statement
India still take the series 2-1, but West Indies leave the ODI leg with plenty of positives. Jangoo continued his excellent series with another valuable contribution, while Hope finally converted a major individual performance into a winning result. Most importantly, West Indies showed they could absorb pressure during a huge chase and still accelerate when the finish came into sight.
For India, KL Rahul’s 129* and Rohit’ Sharma’s 92 were outstanding, but the inability to defend 351 will be the main talking point. A team that can recover from 28/2 to score 351 has the batting depth to win these games. The bigger question now is whether India’s bowling attack can close them out when the opposition produces a chase like this.
West Indies may have lost the series 2-1, but Hope’s 162* ensured they had the final word.
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