Shai Hope’s 102 not out set a West Indies record, guiding the team to a 24-run series-levelling win over India in the fourth T20.
Shai Hope notched 102 not out, steering West Indies to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20, leveling the five-match series at 2-2.
Hope struck nine sixes and four fours en route to his third T20 century, the most by a West Indies batter in that format, as the visitors amassed 247-3 in 20 overs. India won the toss and elected to bowl.
The total stood as the second-highest first-innings score against India in T20s, surpassed only by England’s 257-3 at Southampton earlier this year.
In response, Sanju Samson scored 56 off 23 balls, but India slumped to 130-5 and the chase never recovered, finishing at 223 in 19.3 overs.
Keemo Paul claimed 5-41, recording his second T20 five-wicket haul.
Bengaluru is set to host the decider T20 on Saturday.
Opening the innings, Hope put on 52 off 26 balls with Jewel Andrew (21). Axar Patel trapped Andrew lbw in the fifth over, but West Indies still reached 79-1 in the powerplay.
Hope then added 58 off 24 balls with Shimron Hetmyer, reaching 50 off 28 deliveries with five sixes. He reached a second series hundred with another four sixes.
Hope became only the fifth batter to score multiple hundreds in a bilateral T20 series. It was his fourth century in seven innings across ODIs and T20s on the tour.
Despite Prince Yadav dismissing Hetmyer for 33, Rovman Powell contributed 24.
Sherfane Rutherford remained 49 not out off 26 balls, featuring four fours and three sixes, as West Indies surpassed 200.
Hope and Rutherford added 91 off just 43 balls. India incurred a slow over-rate penalty in the final over, with Nitish Reddy conceding 19 runs. Hope reached his century with a six off the last delivery.
In reply, Samson struck four sixes to give India a flying start. He and Abhishek Sharma (29) added 60 off 25 balls, leaving India 80-2 at the powerplay.
Keemo Paul struck twice in the fifth over, claiming Samson caught at square leg on the first ball and Ishan Kishan caught at deep mid-wicket three balls later.
India also lost skipper Shreyas Iyer (16) before the halfway mark, leaving the score at 97-3.
Abhishek Sharma scored 29 off 24 balls, with three fours and a six. His dismissal proved pivotal, as he was caught off Gudakesh Motie at long off in the 12th over.
Motie also had Naman Dhir stumped for a golden duck.
Tilak Varma compiled 43 off 25 balls, supported by Nitish Reddy’s cameo of 41 off 20 balls, but the effort went in vain.
Paul picked up three wickets in the 19th over to wrap up the Indian innings.