- Shai Hope’s century powered West Indies to 247/3.
- Hetmyer, Rutherford provided strong support for the high total.
- India needs 248 runs to clinch the T20I series.
IND vs WI 4th T20I Live: West Indies captain Shai Hope produced a blistering century to power his side to 247/3 in 20 overs against India in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Hope’s explosive knock, backed by contributions from Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, put India under pressure as the hosts now need 248 runs to win the match and clinch the five-match series.
Shai Hope Leads West Indies’ Batting Blitz
Hope was the centrepiece of West Indies’ imposing total, smashing an unbeaten 102 off 50 deliveries. The right-hander struck four fours and nine sixes, maintaining a strike rate of 204 as he kept the Indian bowlers under pressure throughout the innings.
West Indies made an aggressive start after India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl. The visitors raced to 79/1 in the powerplay, with Hope and the other top-order batters taking advantage of the early scoring opportunities. The six-over burst gave West Indies the platform for a total approaching 250. Source
Jewel Andrew provided early support to Hope, scoring 21 off 16 balls, including two fours and a six. However, Axar Patel broke the opening partnership by trapping Andrew leg-before, giving India their first breakthrough.
Shimron Hetmyer then injected further momentum into the innings with a rapid 33 off just 12 deliveries. His knock featured four fours and two sixes, taking the attack to India’s bowlers and helping West Indies sustain their scoring rate. Prince Yadav eventually dismissed Hetmyer, but the wicket did little to slow the visitors’ progress.
Rutherford Finishes Strong As West Indies Reach 247
Rovman Powell added another useful contribution, scoring 24 off 17 balls before Arshdeep Singh had him caught by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. India had picked up three wickets, but the visitors continued to find runs through Hope and Rutherford.
Sherfane Rutherford remained unbeaten on 49 from 26 deliveries, striking four fours and three sixes. He fell just one run short of a half-century, but his late contribution helped West Indies finish with a formidable 247/3.
West Indies scored at a rate of 12.35 runs per over and collected 18 extras, including 13 wides and one no-ball. The extras added to India’s workload on a difficult evening for the bowling attack.
Axar Patel, Prince Yadav and Arshdeep Singh were the three Indian bowlers to claim wickets, dismissing Andrew, Hetmyer and Powell respectively. Despite those breakthroughs, India were unable to contain the scoring across the full 20 overs.
India Need 248 To Seal The T20I Series
The target leaves India with a demanding chase in Hyderabad. Shreyas Iyer’s side entered the fourth T20I with a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after winning the third match in Indore. A victory would give India an unassailable 3-1 lead, while a West Indies win would level the series at 2-2 and set up a decider.
India’s batters now face the task of chasing 248 against a West Indies side that has demonstrated its ability to produce big totals and aggressive performances in the series. Hope’s century and Rutherford’s unbeaten 49 have given the visitors a strong platform, leaving India needing a substantial batting effort to secure the series in Hyderabad.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
