IND vs WI, 4th T20I: Hope century, Paul five-wicket haul help West Indies level series against India

Keemo Paul registered a five-wicket haul to contain India’s chase in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

It arrived dressed as a stranger, this refreshed pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, with the promise of a different story. India, squinting into the unknown, chose to chase. But the night peeled back the disguise soon enough, and beneath it lay that same old batting paradise.

Shai Hope’s sensational unbeaten century lit the fuse for West Indies’ 24-run win over India on Wednesday, dragging the series level at 2-2.

Jewel Andrew, having taken the pitch’s measure, got to work for the Windies, raining down on Arshdeep Singh with two boundaries and a six that sailed high over mid-wicket. Mayank Yadav’s pace and bounce backfired, costing him 11 extras.

The visitor tore past 50 in just 15 balls. When Andrew fell to Axar Patel, Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer ensured the respite was brief. The Windies registered 79 in the PowerPlay, the joint-highest score in this phase (with New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year) against India in T20Is. The team 100 came in just 42 balls with India reduced to a hapless spectator.

Hope then found a cautious partner in Rovman Powell, who then burst free to help plunder Axar for 22 runs in an over.

Sherfane Rutherford then joined Hope to stitch a bamboozling 91-run stand off just 43 balls, Hope raising his arms to celebrate a ton for the second time in the T20I leg.

West Indies captain Shai Hope struck another century to help the side post a mammoth total on the board. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Sanju Samson loves Hyderabad and his affection shone bright as he clobbered his way to his joint-fastest T20I fifty off 20 balls, with a menacing 248-run chase before him.

Hope turned to executioner of choice Keemo Paul, who came good not once but twice, first striking Samson off the ledger before sending Ishan Kishan back a few deliveries later.

Abhishek Sharma, who regularly renders his partners obsolete, found himself floundering for rhythm. As the Sunrisers Hyderabad star dealt with his demons, Shreyas Iyer decided to turn aggressor, injecting life back into the pack stands here at Uppal until an athletic effort from Andrew brought an abrupt end.

Just when Abhishek began to find the fence, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie struck to remove him and Naman Dhir in consecutive balls. The ask: 116 runs from 48 balls.

Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar’s 32-ball 72 stand lifted hopes high but Paul led the charge with a fifer to dampen any hopes of a win. Arshdeep retiring hurt was merely the final twist of the knife, hastening a defeat that India tried, in vain, to avoid.