West Indies captain Shai Hope overcame a groin injury to produce a stunning century and guide his team to a memorable five-wicket victory over India in the third and final ODI on Saturday.
India had already secured the three-match series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, but West Indies finished strongly with a record chase of 352 in New Chandigarh.
Hope Produces a Match-Winning Century
Hope was forced to open the innings after Jewel Andrew suffered a finger injury while fielding. Despite appearing to struggle with a leg injury, the West Indies skipper held the innings together and produced a remarkable display of stroke-making.
His innings helped West Indies surpass their previous highest successful ODI chase of 331-5 against Ireland in 2019.
Hope was eventually named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.
“I wanted to fight through till the end,” Hope said after the match.
West Indies Complete Record Chase
West Indies appeared to be under pressure when they needed 56 runs from the final five overs, but Hope launched a spectacular late assault.
The captain smashed 40 runs from his final 16 deliveries, accelerating the chase and sealing victory with 10 balls remaining.
Earlier, Hope had shared a crucial second-wicket partnership of 109 runs with Amir Jangoo, who matched his captain’s attacking approach during the stand.
India made a strong recovery after a disastrous start.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, India were quickly reduced to 4-2. West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales struck first when he generated extra bounce and forced Shubman Gill into a catch behind the stumps.
Seales then removed Virat Kohli with his next legitimate delivery, leaving India in serious trouble.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul Lead the Recovery
Rohit Sharma played a key role in rebuilding India’s innings alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Rohit eventually fell for 92, missing out on a third ODI century in his last four innings. His dismissal brought KL Rahul to the crease, and the Indian vice-captain immediately increased the scoring rate.
Rahul produced a career-best unbeaten 129, doing most of the scoring during the final 10 overs as India added 105 runs during that period.
India eventually finished on a huge 351-7, but the total proved insufficient against Hope’s remarkable chase.
Hope revealed that he had previously spoken with former India captain MS Dhoni about chasing big totals.
According to Hope, Dhoni told him that batters often have more time during a chase than they initially believe.
The advice proved valuable as Hope remained composed despite the pressure before producing an explosive finish.
Shubman Gill Highlights India’s Weaknesses
India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that his team had made progress but admitted there were areas that required improvement.
Gill pointed specifically to India’s fielding and death bowling after the team dropped several catches during the match.
He also noted that India needed greater clarity over whether to attack or defend during crucial stages of the innings.
West Indies End Series on a High
Although India won the ODI series 2-1, West Indies’ record chase provided a memorable conclusion to the series.
For Hope, the performance was particularly significant as he battled through injury to score a match-winning century and lead his team to their highest successful ODI chase.