New Chandigarh, October 4 (Daily Kiran) : Shai Hope, the captain and wicketkeeper of the West Indies, delivered an extraordinary performance in the third ODI against India, scoring an unbeaten 162 runs. This remarkable innings helped his team chase down a target of 352 runs, securing a historic victory. Coach Darren Sammy praised Hope’s leadership and resilience throughout the match.
During the Indian innings, Hope was behind the stumps for the entire 50 overs. Afterward, he stepped up to open the batting in place of the injured Jewel Andrew. At the PCA Stadium, he remained not out, guiding the West Indies to a memorable win. Remarkably, he spent a total of 98.2 overs on the field during the match.
In a statement released by the ICC, Sammy remarked, “He was on the field for nearly 98.2 overs. Today, he truly anchored the team with his batting, as he has done many times before. It’s not new for him to take responsibility, but keeping for 50 overs and then delivering such a performance is truly special.”
Sammy also pointed out that Hope’s contributions to West Indies cricket often go unrecognized. “He doesn’t say much, but when he does, it’s clear what he expects from himself and the team. As I mentioned, he leads by example through his performance and believes in it.”
He continued, “When I asked him to open the innings, he didn’t hesitate. He just put on his pads, took to the field, and led us to victory. I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for what he has done for West Indies cricket, given his commitment and the way he plays. He’s a fantastic player and a great person.”
Reflecting on the valuable lessons learned from this series ahead of the Men’s ODI World Cup 2027, Sammy acknowledged that while the West Indies may need to play qualifiers, there were many positives from their batting display.
He stated, “We knew how capable India is, and we wanted to test ourselves against such a team. We showed that when we play well consistently, we can compete with the world’s number one team. We will learn a lot from this. Even with one less batsman, we understood the conversations in the dressing room: it was about scoring centuries and staying at the crease. Building partnerships and not losing wickets consistently gave us a great chance to win. Defending a score here is very difficult. You have to trust that whatever score the opposing team makes, you can match it.”
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