West Indies pulled off the second-highest run chase in men’s T20I history, beating India by six wickets in Ranchi to level the five-match series 1-1. Captain Shai Hope hit an unbeaten 102 off just 45 balls to power the chase.
India’s Big Total
After West Indies chose to bowl first, India piled up 249/5, and the total looked match-winning for most of the evening. Sanju Samson set the tone with a blistering 82 off 41 balls, with nine fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 200. Captain Shreyas Iyer added a quickfire 40 off 18, and Tilak Varma finished strongly with an unbeaten 44 off 18 balls. Roston Chase was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3/24.
A Chase That Started in the Worst Way
West Indies’ reply began badly. They lost two wickets in the opening over, were 31/2 after three overs and 86/3 after seven, and a 250-run target looked far out of reach. Then Hope and Sherfane Rutherford turned the match around.
Hope and Rutherford Take Over
The pair put on a 120-run partnership that dragged West Indies back into the contest and then ahead of the rate. Rutherford smashed 84 off 37 balls with seven fours and seven sixes before Kuldeep Yadav finally broke the stand with the score at 178/4 in the 15th over. By then the damage was done. Hope brought up his second T20I hundred, and his first against India, off just 45 balls, with six fours and nine sixes. Romario Shepherd finished it off with an unbeaten 34 off 13 balls, and West Indies got home with nine balls to spare at 252/4.
Where India Went Wrong
India played without Jasprit Bumrah, and their bowlers had no answer. Axar Patel went for 63 in 3.3 overs and Arshdeep Singh conceded 45 in his four, and neither took a wicket. Mayank Yadav was the only bright spot, finishing with 3/36. India’s tactics also drew questions, as they bowled four overs of spin in what turned out to be the last five overs of the match.
What It Means
This is West Indies’ highest successful T20I chase, second only to South Africa’s 259 against them in 2023. It also leaves the series wide open at 1-1 with three matches to go. India’s batting delivered a 249 that would win most games, but the bowling lacked an answer once the chase got going, and that will be a worry as the series moves on.
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