IND vs WI 2nd ODI: Captain Hope guides West Indies to morale-boosting win over India

India, which rested skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the game, lost the plot in the first innings, when the side collapsed from 90/0 to 181 all-out after being sent out to bat.

West Indies’ captain Shai Hope plays a shot against India. | Photo Credit: Ricardo Mazalan/AP

A resilient West Indies side led from the front by captain Shai Hope stormed back to level the series against India at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on Sunday.

India, which was captained by Hardik Pandya, after regular skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were rested for the game, had a poor outing with the bat, settling for just 181, after being asked to bat by Hope.

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The visiting side though had an assured start with the bat, with openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill helping their side to 90 just past the 15th over. The left-handed Kishan scored a run-a-ball half-century before he lost his partner.

India then lost wickets in regular intervals, with the Caribbean bowlers turning on the heat. Right-arm pacer Romario Shepherd delivered career-best figures of 3/37, while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie also chipped in with a three-wicket haul.

Both Sanju Samson and Axar Patel, who replaced Kohli and Rohit, fell for single-digit scores as the home side carved its way through the Indian middle order, despite having its momentum interrupted by two rain interruptions.

Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur gave the men in blue hopes of revival before West Indies cleaned up the tail to put itself in a winning position.

West Indian openers Kyle Mayers and Brandon King began earnestly as they laid the platform for the chase. The former was brutal as he took on the Indian pacers, scoring four boundaries and two sixes.

India vs West Indies Scorecard

It was Thakur who gave India a road back into the game, when he took three quick wickets, with his seemingly innocuous medium pace. He mixed up his length and used the cross-seam to great effect to remove West Indies’ top three.

Skipper Hope then took over the chase with his measured approach. The right-handed batter squeaked his way past an in-control Indian spin attack, despite never looking assertive in his footwork.

After losing Shimron Hetmyer to a Kuldeep Yadav slider, Hope found a steely ally in Keacy Carty. The duo put on an impressive 91-run stand to guide their side to morale-boosting win.