West Indies beat India to level T20 series as Hope continues record run

Shai Hope set a West Indies record by reaching 102 not out as West Indies beat India by 24 runs Wednesday in the fourth cricket T20 to level the five-match series at 2-2.

Hope hit nine sixes and four fours in his third T20 century – the most for a West Indies batter – as the visitors piled up 247-3 in 20 overs. India had won the toss and opted to bowl.

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It was the second-highest first innings total in T20s against India, trailing England’s 257-3 in Southampton this year.

In reply, Sanju Samson hit 56 off 23 balls but India was down to 130-5 and the chase never took off. It finished with 223 in 19.3 overs.

Keemo Paul picked 5-41 for his second five-wicket haul in T20s.

Bengaluru will host the deciding T20 on Saturday.

Put into bat, Hope gave West Indies a flying by putting on 52 off 26 balls with Jewel Andrew (21). Axar Patel trapped Andrew lbw in the fifth over but West Indies still got 79-1 in the powerplay.

Hope then added another 58 off 24 balls with Shimron Hetmyer, reaching 50 off 28 balls with the help of five sixes. He sped to a second hundred in the series with another four sixes.

Hope also became only the fifth batter to score multiple hundreds in a bilateral T20 series. Overall, it was his fourth hundred in seven innings across ODIs and T20s on this tour.

He wasn’t finished, despite Prince Yadav sending back Hetmyer for 33, while Rovman Powell scored 24.

Sherfane Rutherford scored 49 not out off 26 balls to provide the final flourish, hitting four fours and three sixes, as West Indies breached 200.

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Hope and Rutherford added 91 off only 43 balls, as India served a slow over-rate penalty in the final over. Nitish Reddy gave away 19 runs in the 20th, with Hope reaching his century with a six off the last ball.

In reply, Samson hit four sixes to give India a quick start. He and Abhishek Sharma (29) added 60 off 25 balls as India scored 80-2 in the powerplay.

Keemo Paul struck twice in the fifth over – Samson was out caught at square leg on the first ball and then three balls later, Ishan Kishan was caught at deep mid wicket for six.

India also lost skipper Shreyas Iyer (16) before the halfway mark, and was down to 97-3.

Abhishek Sharma didn’t get going, scoring 29 off 24 balls, with three fours and a six. His dismissal was the turning point – 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 fought hard with 43 off 25 balls along with Nitish Reddy’s cameo (41 off 20 balls) but it went in vain.

Paul picked three wickets in the 19th over to wrap up the innings.