West Indies captain Shai Hope disclosed that a conversation with former India captain MS Dhoni helped him remain composed during his unbeaten 162 in the third ODI at New Chandigarh on Saturday.
Hope produced a remarkable innings to guide the West Indies to a five-wicket victory, successfully chasing down India’s 351 for 7 in 48.2 overs. The result handed the visitors a consolation win in a series India claimed 2-1.
Speaking after the match, Hope said Dhoni had reminded him that a batter always has more time than they might think when pacing a demanding run chase.
“I had a great chat with the great man MS Dhoni; he was telling me you always have more time than you think,” Hope said.
The advice appeared to underpin Hope’s approach as he constructed his innings in phases before accelerating sharply towards the finish.
Hope’s 162 Powers West Indies to Record Chase
Hope finished unbeaten on 162 from 143 balls, registering his 21st ODI century as the West Indies completed their highest successful ODI chase against India.
He reached his half-century from 46 balls and brought up his hundred off 104 deliveries before dramatically increasing the tempo. Hope plundered 62 runs from his final 39 balls as the tourists sealed the chase with 10 balls to spare.
Earlier, India’s KL Rahul had produced an unbeaten 129 off 87 balls to propel the hosts to 351 for 7.
Hope said his focus remained on breaking the chase down rather than becoming consumed by the target.
“Just trying not to focus too much on the end result. Just look at the process, try to break the game down as best as I can and find ways to get the boundaries in the back end,” he said.
Hope Battled Physical Discomfort During the Chase
The West Indies captain also revealed that the innings came despite physical discomfort.
Having spent the entire 50 overs behind the stumps in testing conditions, Hope said he began feeling an issue in his groin around the 30-over mark.
“Probably about 30 overs in, felt a little something in the groin area. So just tried to fight to the end there,” he said.
The West Indies were also contending with a depleted batting line-up, making Hope’s ability to bat through the chase particularly vital.
“Firstly, we were a batter down, probably two if you count Vitel Lawes as well. So it would always be a challenge,” Hope said.
Hope Calculated India’s Fielding Restrictions
Hope further revealed that he was conscious of India’s slow over-rate and the resulting fielding restrictions during the closing stages of the chase.
With an additional fielder required inside the 30-yard circle for the final four overs, Hope identified an opportunity to attack India’s defence.
“I even thought about the overs that the Indian team were behind. So I knew they would have to bring a couple fielders in, in the back end,” he said.
“It’s always tough when you’re trying to defend a score and you got to have five men in the ring. So all those things I calculated when I was batting. Just so happened that everything worked out for us in the back end.”
Hope eventually struck the winning runs to complete a memorable chase and earn Player of the Match honours.
The five-wicket victory ended India’s clean-sweep hopes, although Shubman Gill’s side secured the ODI series 2-1. The two teams will now turn their attention to a five-match T20I series beginning on October 6.