BRIDGETOWN: West Indies captain Shai Hope played the sheet anchor role to perfection in taking his team to a series-levelling six-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International of a three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.

After his bowlers capitalised on a helpful pitch and an unconvincing India batting effort to dismiss their opponents for 181 off 40.5 overs, Hope’s unbeaten 63 and the support of Keacy Carty (48 not out) in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 91 ended a nine-match run of defeats to India in ODIs spanning four years.

It was also a swift comeback in the wake of the Caribbean side’s dispiriting five-wicket loss in the opening match at the same venue on Thursday and sets the stage for the series decider on Tuesday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

Hope was joined by Carty when Kuldeep Yadav bowled Shimron Hetmyer to leave the home side at 91 for four in the 17th over.

That strike came after Shardul Thakur’s three-wicket burst which brought India back into the match following a 53-run opening sta­­nd between Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.

“Once I can contribute to team wins I am happy. Whether I get a 50, whether I get a hundred, whether I get a double-hundred, as long as we win I am happy,” said a delighted Hope.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and seamer Romario Shepherd claimed three wickets each as India, who rested regular captain Rohit Sharma and premier batsman Virat Kohli, tumbled after an opening stand of 90 between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill.

With their innings also interrupted twice by seasonal showers, the visitors laboured to gain any middle or lower-order momentum.

Motie separated the opening pair when Gill, on 34, was held at long-off and Kishan slashed a short ball from Shepherd four balls later to be well held by Alick Athanaze diving at backward-point.

Kishan’s 55, his second consecutive half-century, came off 55 balls with six four and one six. Suryakumar Yadav (24) was the only other player in the line-up to last any length of time in the middle as the pace of Alzarri Joseph (2 for 35) also proved unsettling for the visitors.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA:

I. Kishan c Athanaze b Shepherd 55

S. Gill c Joseph b Motie 34

S. Samson c King b Cariah 9

A. Patel c Hope b Shepherd 1

H. Pandya c King b Seales 7

S. Yadav c Athanaze b Motie 24

R. Jadeja c Cariah b Shepherd 10

S. Thakur lbw b Joseph 16

K. Yadav not out 8

U. Malik c Carty b Joseph 0

M. Kumar c Hetmyer b Motie 6

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-9) 11

TOTAL (all out, 40.5 overs) 181

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-90 (Gill), 2-95 (Kishan), 3-97 (Patel), 4-113 (Pandya), 5-113 (Samson), 6-146 (Jadeja), 7-148 (S. Yadav), 8-167 (Thakur), 9-167 (Malik)

BOWLING: Mayers 5-0-18-0 (2w), Seales 6-0-28-1, Joseph 7-0-35-2 (4w), Motie, 9.5-0-36-3 (1w), Shepherd 8-1-37-3 (1w), Cariah 5-0-25-1

WEST INDIES:

B. King lbw b Thakur 15

K. Mayers c Malik b Thakur 36

A. Athanaze c Kishan b Thakur 6

S. Hope not out 63

S. Hetmyer b K. Yadav 9

K. Carty not out 48

EXTRAS (W-5) 5

TOTAL (for four wickets, 36.4 overs) 182

DID NOT BAT: R. Shepherd, Y. Cariah, A. Joseph, G. Motie, J. Seales

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-53 (Mayers), 2-54 (King), 3-72 (Athanaze), 4-91 (Hetmyer)

BOWLING: Pandya 6.4-0-38 (1w), Kumar 3-0-17-0, Malik 3-0-27-0 (1w), Thakur 8-0-42-3 (2w), K. Yadav 8-0-30-1 (1w), Jadeja 6-0-24-0, Patel 2-1-4-0

RESULT: West Indies won by six wickets.

Published in Dawn, July 31tst, 2023