Hope led from the front with 162 not out, his 21st ODI hundred
West Indies 352 for 5 (Hope 162*, Jangoo 67; Naman 1-33) beat India 351 for 7 (Rahul 129*, Rohit 92, Seales 3-62) by 5 wickets
West Indies captain Shai Hope says he was confident at the halfway stage of the third One-Day International against India on Saturday, knowing the required 352 meant his team would need to complete their highest successful chase in the format to win.
“Honestly, in India you always feel you can chase any score down,” Hope began. “The conditions tend to get a little bit better for batting. It's a lot wetter; dew comes into play, and the ball tends to come off of the bat a lot nicer. We always had faith in our batters to get the job done.”
After being on the end of consecutive crushing defeats, Hope hit a masterful unbeaten 162, helping the Caribbean side to better their previous record chase—328 against Ireland in 2019—by a significant margin. They did so without the availability of Jewell Andrew and Vitel Lawes.
Andrew was taken to the hospital for an X-ray after sustaining a blow to his finger while taking the catch which dismissed Naman Dhir. Lawes was forced off the field after bowling just five overs.
Following Cricket West Indies’ announcement that contracted players will lose 25% of their annual retainer contracts, CEO Chris Dehring reiterated that every operational cost of the organisation is being evaluated.
In CWI’s stakeholder address, issued on their YouTube channel on September 24, where the changes were first disclosed, Dehring hinted at potential salary reductions for their staff in a “strive to improve operating efficiency."
“Every expense line item of Cricket West Indies operations is also being actively reviewed and reduced,” Dehring said at the time. He expounded on the complication days later in an interview with Cricinfo.
“Obviously, concerning the staff, we have labour laws, contracts, etc., given that they're unionised. So we have to go through certain processes, including consultations with the union in Antigua, which we have had. But there is no expense line item untouched.
Chris Dehring alongside The Hon. Gaston Browne and Dr. Kishore Shallow
India coach Gautam Gambhir says, 'This is not cricket.'
West Indies bowling coach Ravi Rampaul voiced concerns regarding the playing conditions at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium after India overhauled his side’s 405 to complete the second-highest run-chase in One-Day Internationals in Guwahati on Wednesday.
In his post-match comments, Rampaul credited the hosts, saying it “was a good batting performance by the Indian team… on a very good batting-friendly pitch.” He was also quick to admit his bowlers “weren't consistent enough.”
The former Windies seamer was, however, adamant that “400 runs, chased down in 43 overs, is not right.”
“Flat pitches are everywhere now, but this is flat and more like a batting track because they allow nothing for the spinners, nothing for the fast bowlers,” Rampaul said. “Obviously, who scores more runs wins the game, and it's tough for bowlers coming into these conditions.”
