India scored 249. Shai Hope and West Indies still chased it down

A target of 250 in a T20 match usually gives the bowling team a little breathing room. In Ranchi, West Indies treated it as a challenge worth accepting.

Shai Hope finished unbeaten on 102 from 45 balls as the visitors beat India by six wickets on October 9. Sherfane Rutherford supplied 84 from 37 deliveries, helping turn a difficult chase into a striking victory.

Cricket West Indies’ official results record India at 249/5 and West Indies at 252/4 after 18.3 overs. Nine balls were still unused. The result levelled the T20I series at 1-1 after India had won the opening match.

First came the wobble

This was not a chase that began with everything going perfectly. Mayank Yadav removed Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer on consecutive deliveries in the opening over. West Indies were suddenly two wickets down with almost the entire mountain still ahead.

Rovman Powell contributed 24 from 13 balls. By the end of the six-over powerplay, the visitors had reached 72/3. They were scoring quickly, but another collapse could still have ended the contest.

Then Hope and Rutherford took control. The ICC’s match report describes their 120-run partnership from 54 balls. Against a target this large, that combination of speed and staying power was the heart of the chase.

A century with the winning shot

Rutherford’s dismissal did not give India enough of an opening. Romario Shepherd added an unbeaten 34 from 13 balls, keeping the pressure on the bowlers rather than letting the required rate climb.

Hope finished the job with a six off Axar Patel, reaching his hundred at the same time, according to Outlook’s report. A winning shot and a century celebration arrived in one swing.

The successful chase was West Indies’ highest in men’s T20 internationals, and the second-highest overall in that format. South Africa’s pursuit of 259 against West Indies in 2023 remains ahead of it.

India had plenty of runs, just not enough

Sanju Samson’s 82 from 41 deliveries drove India’s innings. Ishan Kishan made 43, Shreyas Iyer added 40, and Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 44.

For the visitors, Roston Chase’s 3/24 was particularly valuable in a match dominated by batting. Cricbuzz’s report, carried by News Room Guyana, also counted 20 sixes in the West Indies innings.

The lesson from this game is straightforward: a huge first-innings total does not defend itself. India had runs on the board and early wickets in hand. West Indies had two batters who refused to let either advantage settle the match.