Hyderabad, October 14: A magnificent century by an unstoppable Shai Hope and a five-wicket haul by Keemo Paul helped West Indies secure a 24-run win over India in the fourth T20I of the five-match series at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
With this win, the series is level 2-2, with an exciting decider at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru set for October 17. While Hope (102* off 50 balls, with four boundaries and nine sixes) registered his fourth century of the India tour, including his second in the T20I leg, Keemo (5/41) got crucial wickets right from the start. After a fifty from Sanju Samson (56 in 22 balls, with six fours and four sixes), India found themselves playing the catch-up game. A 70-run stand between Tilak Varma (43 off 25 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 in 20 balls, with a four and four sixes) gave India hope; India's hopes were dimmed with their dismissals.
India started off the chase of 248 runs with a first-ball four by Sanju Samson, but Roston Chase made a brilliant comeback to concede just three runs more.
In the second over, Sanju took the attack against Shamar Joseph, smashing him for a four and two successive sixes. Samson made an absolute meal out of Roston in the third over, looting 25 runs.
Sanju reached his second fifty of the series in just 19 balls, with five fours and four sixes, with Abhishek Sharma unusually enjoying a spectator role at the other end.
Keemo Paul delivered India a double jolt in the fifth over, first removing Sanju for 22-ball 56, with six fours and four sixes and Ishan Kishan for just six runs in three balls .
Abhishek, who could not really find those effortless fours and sixes and skipper Shreyas Iyer took India to 84/2 by the end of the powerplay in six overs.
Abhishek and Iyer got a boundary each off Keemo in the next over. However, Shamar Springer got Iyer out for a sluggish 11-ball 16, with two fours, with a catch at deep point from Jewel. India was 97/3 in 8.2 overs.
India reached the 100-run mark in 8.4 overs. With Tilak Verma's reliable game and Abhishek's explosiveness on either ends, India was still in hunt at 115/2, with Tilak and Abhishek unbeaten.
Tilak punished Romario Shepherd with a four and a six to end the 11th over, and Abhishek started the next with a four. Gudakesh Motie handed India a double whammy, with the wicket of Abhishek for 24 off 29, with three fours and a six, with a fine catch from Shamar Springer ending Abhishek's rough outing at his IPL home ground. He also got Naman Dhir stumped for a golden duck. India was reduced to 130/5 in 11.4 overs.
Tilak and Nitish Kumar Reddy kept the partnership going, but needed acceleration as at 15 overs, India was 168/5, with Tilak (34*) and Nitish (14*) unbeaten. In the 16th over by Shamar Joseph, the pacer bowled some extras, and Nitish also launched him for two sixes and a four, reducing the equation to 59 runs needed in 24 balls.
Romario Shepherd's 17th over was a mixed one as while he conceded a six and bowled a wide, he also produced a wicket of Tilak for 43 in 25 balls, as the batter got too much elevation and gave a catch to Rovman Powell. India was 200/6 in 17 overs.
Springer's 18th over applied the brakes on scoring again as he conceded just five runs and India needed 43 runs in the final two overs. The penultimate over started promising for India with a wide and a six by Nitish, but the batter could not get the elevation for a second successive six, handing a catch to Rovman. Nitish was gone for 41 off 20 balls, with a four and four sixes. Keemo cleaned Prince Yadav's stumps for a golden duck on the next ball. India was 212/8 in 18.3 overs. He also removed Axar Patel for just three runs, getting his five-wicket haul. India was nine down.
Arshdeep walked off after being hit on his arm, with Windies winning.
Brief Scores: WI: 247/3 (Shai Hope 102*, Sherfane Rutherford 49, Prince Yadav 1/36) beat India: 223/9 (Sanju Samson 56, Tilak Verma 43, Keemo Paul 5/41). (ANI)
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