West Indies skipper Shai Hope produced a stunning unbeaten century to lead his side to a six-wicket victory over India in the second T20I on Friday, pulling off a record chase against the hosts and levelling the five-match series at 1-1.
Chasing India's imposing target of 250, the West Indies reached 252/4 in 18.3 overs, registering the highest successful T20I chase against India and the second-highest successful chase in the format overall.
Hope remained unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, striking six fours and nine sixes. He received outstanding support from Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed 84 off 37 deliveries, while Romario Shepherd provided the finishing touch with an explosive 34 off just 13 balls.
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Hope And Rutherford Power West Indies' Record Chase
The West Indies' innings got off to a shaky start as Mayank Yadav struck twice in successive deliveries, dismissing Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer after repeatedly breaching the 140kph mark.
However, Hope and Rutherford turned the contest around with an aggressive assault on India's spin attack, which struggled to find its footing amid heavy dew. Hope continued his impressive run of form after scoring back-to-back centuries in the preceding ODI series and a half-century in the first T20I. He reached his fifty in just 24 balls.
Rutherford matched his skipper's aggression, bringing up his half-century off 24 deliveries. The pair added 120 runs in just 54 balls, with their century partnership coming off only 43 deliveries.
India had an opportunity to break the stand when Mayank dropped Rutherford on 38 off Kuldeep Yadav's bowling. The missed chance proved costly as the West Indies duo continued to clear the boundary with ease.
Hope eventually completed his century by launching Axar Patel for a six, while Shepherd took charge in the closing stages. The West Indies plundered 41 runs across the 17th and 18th overs to put the chase firmly beyond India's reach before sealing a memorable win.
Samson Leads India's Charge With 82
Earlier, Sanju Samson returned to form with a blistering 82, helping India post 249/5 after being asked to bat. Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma then supplied the late fireworks as India registered their highest-ever T20I total against the West Indies.
Samson, who had endured four consecutive low scores, struck his ninth T20I half-century in just 21 balls. He built a 97-run partnership off 43 deliveries with Ishan Kishan, propelling India to 139/1 in 11 overs at a run rate of more than 12 an over. Kishan contributed 43 off 22 balls.
The opening partnership ended when off-spinner Roston Chase returned to the attack and broke the stand. Kishan was bowled while attempting to play across the line, while Shivam Dube, promoted to No. 4, struggled to find his rhythm before departing for seven off 10 balls, also bowled while attempting a cross-batted shot.
Samson's entertaining innings came to an end in the 15th over when his attempted ramp shot over deep backward point went straight to Pooran. India lost three wickets for 23 runs during the middle overs, briefly slowing their momentum.
Iyer And Tilak Provide Late Acceleration
India captain Shreyas Iyer, fresh from scoring his maiden T20I century in Lucknow, continued his strong form with a quickfire 40 off 18 balls. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 44 off 18 deliveries, and the pair added 83 runs in just 32 balls to propel India towards the 250-run mark.
Tilak also crossed the 5,000-run milestone in T20 cricket during his innings, keeping the pressure on the West Indies bowlers with crisp boundaries and aggressive strokeplay.
India had made a flying start after being asked to bat, with Abhishek Sharma attacking early as the hosts raced beyond 10 runs an over. He struck spinner Akeal Hosein for a six after initially exercising patience, but fell for 20 off 12 balls while attempting to accelerate again. He mistimed a pull off Chase's short delivery, with Gudakesh Motie taking the catch at mid-on.
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Samson, meanwhile, benefited from two dropped catches. He survived on six when Pooran failed to hold on to a chance at cover off Hosein, and later received another reprieve when Motie put down a chipped drive at mid-off.
The Kerala batter made the most of his luck, taking apart Hosein with three sixes and two fours before reaching his half-century off just 21 deliveries. His explosive knock laid the foundation for India's imposing total, but Hope and Rutherford's remarkable partnership ensured the West Indies had the final say.
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