The West Indies men’s cricket team has kept its five-match T20 International series title hopes alive, securing a dramatic 24-run win over India in Hyderabad on Wednesday, led by a match-winning century from captain Shai Hope and a career-defining five-wicket haul from fast bowler Keemo Paul. The result levels the overall series at two wins apiece, with a winner-takes-all final clash scheduled to take place in Bengaluru this coming Saturday.
The match began with West Indies batting first, after a pre-match toss, and the visitors made two key squad changes heading into the must-win fixture. Opener Kamil Pooran was dropped to make way for Jewel Andrew, while pace bowler Romario Shepherd made his return to the side following a recent injury spell, replacing Quentin Sampson who missed out on selection. Andrew got the innings off to a blistering start alongside Hope, with the opening pair putting on 52 runs inside the first five overs before Andrew was dismissed for 21 runs off 16 deliveries. Shimron Hetmyer followed with a quickfire 33 from just 12 balls before he was sent back to the pavilion, moving West Indies to 110 for 2 by the ninth over.
While Hope anchored the innings with a masterclass display of power batting that has cemented his status as the standout player of the entire tour, middle-order batsman Rovman Powell contributed a useful 24 runs, and Sherfane Rutherford extended his excellent run of form across the series with an unbeaten 49 from 26 balls, including four fours and three sixes. Entering the final two balls of the innings, Hope needed 11 more runs to reach his century, and the captain delivered under pressure, smashing back-to-back sixes to finish unbeaten on 102 runs off just 50 deliveries. The knock included four fours and nine sixes, marking Hope’s third T20 International century for West Indies and breaking a three-way tie for most T20I centuries alongside West Indian legends Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. Hope’s extraordinary form across the entire tour speaks for itself: he notched 278 runs at an average of 139 during the preceding three-match ODI series, and has now scored 261 runs across four T20Is at an average of 130.5, earning him a well-deserved Player-of-the-Match award for his performance in Hyderabad.
Chasing a target of 248 runs to claim the series lead, India got off to a flying start, reaching 60 runs without losing a wicket in the opening overs. Opener Sanju Samson was in devastating form, blasting 56 runs from just 23 deliveries that included six fours and four sixes, before Keemo Paul claimed his wicket with the very first ball of his bowling spell. Samson would be the first of five wickets for Paul, who finished with incredible figures of five wickets for just 41 runs. Paul quickly followed up by dismissing Ishan Kishan for six runs, and in the ninth over, Shamar Springer removed Indian captain Shreyas Iyer for 16, leaving the hosts reeling at 97 for three wickets.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie turned the match firmly in West Indies’ favor in the 12th over, claiming two key wickets in as many deliveries. He first dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 29 runs, then outfoxed Naman Dhir on the very next ball, with Dhir stumped by wicketkeeper Hope. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy mounted a late resistance with 41 runs from 20 deliveries, before he became another of Paul’s victims. Paul would go on to also claim the wickets of Axar Patel and Prince Yadav, wrapping up India’s innings. Motie finished with solid supporting figures of two wickets for 13 runs, while Springer and Shepherd each picked up one wicket apiece. India were eventually bowled out for 223 runs with three balls remaining in their innings, sealing a 24-run victory for the visitors.
With the series now all square at 2-2, all attention will turn to Bengaluru this weekend, where the two sides will face off in a decider to determine who claims the T20I series title.