SECOND ODI ENDS IN THRILLING TIE
Stroke-maker Shai Hope smashed the last delivery of the match to the point boundary to earn West Indies a thrilling tie with India after they appeared on course for a rare win, in a highscoring second one-day international (ODI) yesterday.
Asked to chase a difficult 322 at the ACAVDCA Cricket Stadium, the 24year-old Hope carved out a superb unbeaten 123 – his second ODI hundred – but was unable to get West Indies over the line after they needed 20 runs from the last two overs. West Indies looked to be en route to victory, especially after left-hander Shimron Hetmyer struck an exceptional 94 off just 64 deliveries, in an outstanding 143-run, fourth-wicket partnership with Hope, who stroked 10 fours and three fours in a 134-ball innings. But key strikes saw the Windies lose wickets and, ultimately, momentum in the last 10 overs, and seamer Mohammed Shami sent down an outstanding penultimate over, conceding just six runs, leaving the visitors with an uphill task of getting 14 runs from the final over bowled by speedster Umesh Yadav. Hope took a sharp single off the first ball and Ashley Nurse (5) then missed a low full toss that ricocheted off his pads to the third-man boundary. Nurse ran two to mid-wicket off the third but then fell to a catch at third man, scooping a low full toss into Ambati Rayudu’s lap. Hope then scrambled two runs off the fifth delivery and with five needed off the last ball, sliced Umesh to the ropes, with a diving Rayudu just inches away from pulling off the save.
The tie was the second in ODIs between the two teams following the low-scoring thriller in Perth, nearly three decades ago.
India captain Virat Kohli had earlier stroked his 37th ODI hundred and become the fastest batsman to 10,000 ODI runs, as India recovered from a dodgy start to reach 321 for six off their 50 overs.