New Chandigarh: West Indies ended their ODI series in India with a famous victory on Saturday, chasing down 352 — their highest successful run chase in ODI history — to beat India by five wickets in the third ODI at Mullanpur.
Brief scores: India 351 (KL Rahul 129*, Rohit Sharma 92) lost to West Indies 352/5 (Shai Hope 162*) by 5 wickets.
Hope’s masterclass
Captain Shai Hope carried his bat with a magnificent unbeaten 162 off 143 balls, anchoring the chase from start to finish. It was the highest score by a West Indies batter in a successful ODI chase, breaking Brian Lara’s 33-year-old record of 153 against Pakistan at Sharjah in 1993.
India’s 351 not enough
India’s total was built on KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 — the innings in which he completed 10,000 international runs — and Rohit Sharma’s fluent 92. At the innings break, 351 looked well above par. But on a true surface, with dew around, West Indies never let the required rate escape them.
A series with a sting in the tail
India still took the series 2-1, but this was West Indies’ first ODI win in India since December 2019. After being outplayed in the first two games, Hope’s men finished the ODI leg with a record-breaking statement — and momentum heading into the T20I series.
What it means
For India, questions about their death bowling will linger. For West Indies, this was proof that their batting, led by an exceptional captain, can match anyone on its day. The five-match T20I series suddenly looks far more competitive than it did a week ago.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
