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"Hungry Lion": Ravichandran Ashwin's strong take on Shai Hope's bowling strategy against Sanju Samson

West Indies captain Shai Hope produced an extraordinary unbeaten century to steer his team to a six-wicket win over India in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday, levelling the five-match series at 1-1. Chasing a target of 250, the Caribbean side completed their highest successful run-chase in T20I history with nine balls to spare.

The contest at the JSCA International Stadium saw a combined total of 501 runs scored across both innings, marking the second-highest match aggregate in men's T20I history.

Hope blasted an unbeaten 102 off 45 deliveries, striking the joint-fastest century against India in T20Is. His match-winning display featured six boundaries and seven maximums.

Alongside Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed 84 runs from 37 balls, Hope assembled a crucial 120-run partnership for the fourth wicket to propel the visitors across the finish line.

Earlier in the contest, India fielded an unchanged lineup as confirmed by captain Shreyas Iyer. Sanju Samson rebounded strongly from a modest 11-run outing in the Lucknow series opener to produce a rapid half-century.

Samson reached fifty in just 21 deliveries, matching the landmark set by Virat Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium in 2019. His fiery knock, which contained six fours and three sixes, steered India to 79/1 inside the opening six overs, their highest powerplay total against West Indies in the format.

Following the triumph, West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase spoke candidly regarding the criticism that frequently surrounds his skipper. "I think people underrate Shai Hope a lot," Chase said.

"He is a guy who can block out a lot of noise and focus on what he has to do. I think that is his special skill because, when everything seems to be going wrong, he is still out there giving his best and performing for the team.

He is a great player."

Chase also highlighted how Hope's capabilities in the shortest format are frequently overlooked despite his prowess. "He probably doesn't have the same record in red-ball cricket, but people also play down his statistics and record, especially in T20 cricket.

Everyone knows he is great in 50-over cricket, but even then, people sometimes don't give him enough credit. They always say he either bats too slowly or bats for himself," Chase stated.

Detailing the technical and physical evolution behind Hope's boundary-hitting, Chase explained, "Firstly, he has done a lot of gym work to make himself stronger and more powerful, particularly when it comes to hitting the ball over the ropes and striking it better. I think he also practises a lot of range-hitting to get into those strong positions and get his body accustomed to hitting the ball from those positions."

This report also draws on coverage from The Times of India, India Today, The New Indian Express.

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