Shai Hope Ton Powers West Indies Past India in 4th T20I

Hyderabad: West Indies captain Shai Hope hit an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls, and Keemo Paul took 5/41 as the visitors beat India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The result levels the five-match series at 2-2 and sets up a decider. As Vegas11 News reports, the match was a 470-run slugfest in which 29 sixes were hit.

West Indies Beat India by 24 Runs: How the Match Unfolded

India won the toss and chose to bowl, but West Indies posted 247/3 in 20 overs. India were bowled out for 223 in 19.3 overs while chasing 248.

Shai Hope Century Powers West Indies to 247/3

Hope was named Player of the Match for an innings of 4 fours and 9 sixes at a strike rate of 204.00. Jewel Andrew gave West Indies a start of 21 before falling lbw to Axar Patel at 52/1 in the 5th over.

Shimron Hetmyer then added a 12-ball 33, with 4 fours and 2 sixes, before Prince Yadav caught him off his own bowling at 110/2. Rovman Powell made 24 off 17 balls and was caught by Sanju Samson off Arshdeep Singh at 156/3.

From there, Hope and Sherfane Rutherford ran away with the game. Rutherford finished on 49 not out off 26 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes. The unbeaten pair added 91 runs in the last 7.1 overs, and extras added 18 more to the total.

India’s bowlers struggled. Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh each conceded 52 runs in four overs, while Prince Yadav was the most economical at 1/36 from his four. Axar Patel took 1/45.

Sanju Samson 56 off 23 Balls Gives India a Flying Start

India made a rapid start. Sanju Samson hit 6 fours and 4 sixes in a 23-ball 56 at a strike rate of 243.48, taking India to 60 before he fell to Keemo Paul in the fifth over, caught by Hetmyer.

Ishan Kishan fell soon after for 6 off 3 balls, caught by Andrew off Paul at 67/2. Captain Shreyas Iyer made 16 off 11 before Andrew caught him off Shamar Springer at 97/3.

India Lose Two in Two Balls

The turning point came in the 12th over. Abhishek Sharma made 29 off 24 balls before Shamar Springer caught him off Gudakesh Motie at 130/4. The very next ball, Shai Hope stumped Naman Dhir off Motie for a golden duck. India slid to 130/5 in the space of two deliveries.

Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy Keep India in the Chase

Tilak Varma (43 off 25, 3 sixes) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 off 20, 4 sixes) kept India in the chase. Tilak was caught by Powell off Romario Shepherd at 200/6, and Reddy was also caught by Powell, off Paul, at 212/7.

Keemo Paul Five-Wicket Haul Seals the Win

Paul finished with 5/41 from his four overs. He took the wickets of Samson, Kishan, Reddy, Axar Patel and Prince Yadav, the last of whom was bowled for a duck at 212/8. Gudakesh Motie was the most economical bowler of the day, taking 2/13 in two overs. Shepherd (1/32) and Springer (1/40) also took wickets.

Arshdeep Singh retired hurt on 5, and Mayank Yadav was not out on 0. India’s innings ended at 223 after a total of 24 extras, including 16 wides.

What the 2-2 Scoreline Means for the Series Decider

With both sides level, the fifth T20I decides the series. West Indies will take confidence from Hope’s form and the pace of Paul. India will have to fix their death bowling, which went for 10 or more an over from most of their bowlers.

For more cricket coverage, scorecards and match analysis, keep following Vegas11 News.