4th T20I: Centurion Hope leads West Indies to their second-highest total against India in Hyderabad

4th T20I: Centurion Hope leads West Indies to their second-highest total against India in Hyderabad Hyderabad, Oct 14 : West Indies skipper Shai Hope continued his prolific run-scoring on the tour of India with another century as the visitors raced to 247/3 in 20 overs against India in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, putting the hosts under pressure with an explosive start to their innings.  Hope and Sherfane Rutherford (49 off 26*) continued their impressive partnership against India, adding an unbeaten 91 runs for the fourth wicket in Hyderabad to register the second-highest fourth-wicket stand for West Indies in T20 Internationals. Their effort is behind their own record of 120 runs, set during the previous T20I in Ranchi, while Dwayne Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer’s 103-run partnership against Australia in Gros Islet in 2021 remains the second-best before the Hyderabad stand. Shai Hope also crossed the 2,000-run mark in T20 Internationals with the six he struck off the final ball of the innings, becoming the fourth West Indies batter to reach the milestone. He joined Rovman Powell (2,400), Nicholas Pooran (2,275) and Brandon King (2,028) in the elite list. West Indies also posted their second-highest total against India in T20Is, reaching 247/3 in Hyderabad. Their highest total against India remains the 252/4 scored in Ranchi earlier in the tour, while their previous best before these two outings was 245/6 in Lauderhill in 2016. Hope raised his 50 off only 28 balls, and after his latest 50 score on tour, he joined Chris Gayle at the top of the West Indies' list of most fifties and scores of 50 or more in T20Is with 16. The right-hander already had three centuries this tour and looked to be in good touch as the visitors kept up an impressive rate after being put in. West Indies kept up their free-flowing batting style in the series by chalking up their third successive 200-plus total after being asked to bat first in the fourth T20I against India at Hyderabad. Visitors got off to a blazing start thanks to Shai Hope and Jewel Andrew, taking 79/1 in the powerplay - their highest in the first six overs versus India in T20I. Hope and Andrew put on 56 in a third-wicket stand to build West Indies' charge to 118/2 after the mandated halfway mark, with the bowlers not able to slow down the scoring rate. Jewel Andrew started the ball rolling with a brisk 21 off 16 balls, and Hope ensured momentum was sustained. India's wayward bowling also proved costly to visitors, as they gave away 13 extra runs in the first six overs of the game. Shimron Hetmyer joined the carnage and took the attack to the Indian bowlers, plundering 33 from just 12 balls at a strike rate of 275. Five fours in a row brought up the team hundred in just 7.4 overs, equaling West Indies' fastest team hundred against India in T20Is. It was the same mark they reached at Lauderhill in 2016 without losing a wicket. Hetmyer's quickfire knock earned him one of the top strike-rate performances against India in a T20I innings of 10 balls or more. His strike rate of 275 was the third highest in that list, marginally behind Shamar Springer's 318.18 (35 off 11 balls for his 35 off 11 balls in Indore earlier in the series) and Marco Jansen's 317.64 (54 off 17 balls for South Africa in Centurion in 2024). India did make a bit of a comeback towards the tail-end of the first 10 overs, though, with Axar getting rid of Andrew and Prince of Hetmyer, giving away just nine runs in the closing two overs and ending the partnership. Hope was once again the star, continuing his scintillating form by scoring a magnificent 102 not out off 50 balls. His third T20I century was scored in dramatic circumstances, finishing with two sixes in the last two balls of the innings. Sherfane Rutherford contributed an unselfish 49 not out from 26 balls as West Indies reached 247/3, setting India a mammoth target of 248. All, bar Prince Yadav, of the Indian bowlers conceded more than ten runs an over. Brief scores: West Indies 247/3 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 102 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 49 not out; Prince Yadav 1/36) against India.