Ranchi, Oct 9 (IANS) Skipper Shai Hope smashed a blistering 45-ball century before Sherfane Rutherford hammered 84 off 37 deliveries as the West Indies pulled off a sensational six-wicket victory over India in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday, getting past a daunting target of 250 to register the second-highest successful run-chase in men’s T20I cricket.

Hope and Rutherford shared a record 120-run stand for the fourth wicket after India pacer Mayank Yadav’s hat-trick in the Power-play period had brought them back in the game with the visitors struggling at 44/3. Their counterattacking partnership was the biggest for the West Indies in T20Is for the fourth wicket as well as the third biggest for the fourth wicket against India in the shortest format.

After a half-century off 24 balls, Hope had another brilliant follow-up to his tour, hitting 104 from 45 balls, the fastest T20I century by a West Indian against India and the second-quickest West Indian in the format (after Johnson Charles’s 39-ball effort against South Africa in 2023).

Rutherford provided equally destructive support, bringing up his half-century off 24 balls and finishing with 84 off 37 deliveries, including seven fours and seven sixes. The left-hander’s eighth T20I fifty also extended his sequence of consecutive 50-plus scores to three, putting him alongside Evin Lewis and Nicholas Pooran among West Indies batters to achieve the feat.

Both Hope and Rutherford recorded the joint-second-fastest half-centuries by a West Indies batter against India in T20Is, behind Johnson Charles’ 20-ball effort in 2016.

Reverting to the visitors’ pursuit of 249 for 5, they overtook Australia’s 245 for 5 against New Zealand at Auckland in 2018 for the second-highest successful run chase in T20Is, behind South Africa’s 259 for 4 in the 19th over against West Indies at Centurion in 2023. India also suffered a loss despite such a strong batting performance that led to 249 for 5 in 20 overs.

India had earlier put up a strong total of 249/5, thanks largely to Sanju Samson’s blazing knock of 82 off 41 balls, skipper Shreyas Iyer’s quickfire 40 off 18 balls and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 44 off 18. The highly aggressive batting from the three helped the hosts arrest a middle-order collapse and end up with a huge total.

Samson was aggressive from the word go, punishing the West Indies pace attack with aggressive hitting during the powerplay. The right-hander scored a half-century off just 21 balls, tying the record for the fastest 50 by an Indian in T20Is versus West Indies, held by Virat Kohli. It was achieved at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai against West Indies in 2019.

India were 79/1 at the end of the Power-play and raced to 127/1 at the halfway mark, with Samson and Ishan Kishan going at a good rate. Ishan Kishan played some flamboyant shots before he was bowled by Roston Chase for 43 off 22 balls in the 12th over.

Chase then bowled Dube for seven off 10 balls, dragging the left-hander on to his stumps, before Shamar Springer took the catch in the deep off a Kesture Paul delivery in the 15th over to dismiss ‘missed chance’ Samson. It was the right-hander’s second consecutive half-century as he scored 82 (9×4, 4×6) before Kamil Pooran caught him.

Chase quickly clawed his way back, ending with 3/24, before India’s momentum was finally checked in the final overs. Tilak and Iyer then bludgeoned the hosts’ attack for an 83-run stand in 32 balls, taking the score to within almost 250 runs. Tilak was particularly brutal in the final stretch, clattering three sixes in a row while Dhir also brought out the big shots with a four off the sole ball he faced.

In reply, West Indies lost an early wicket when Mayank Yadav removed two in the first over. After mistiming a pull and falling for four off two, Kamil Pooran was snaffled at midwicket by a well-judged catch from substitute Ravi Bishnoi. Hetmyer was out for a golden duck to a delivery that was hurtling down at 144.5 kph before forcing him into a rushed cross-batted shot across the line.

Mayank returned to remove Rovman Powell for 24 off 13 balls in the sixth over, clocking 149.5 kph as he beat the batter’s attempted heave and sent the off stump cartwheeling. His three-wicket burst left the West Indies in trouble, but Hope responded with an attacking half-century to keep the chase alive.

Hope’s half-century was raised in 24 balls, with Rutherford at the other end matching the rate. They milked India’s errors – Mayank a sitter of a catch from Kuldeep Yadav at short fine leg offered Hope a life just before drinks.

The southpaw capitalised on the respite and raced to his half-century off just 24 balls, flaying the Indian bowlers to all parts.

The 15th over finally saw Kuldeep winning the battle against Rutherford, as the left-arm wrist spinner trapped the batsman for 84 off 37 balls in his own bowling. However, Rutherford got a touch of luck when an outside-off length ball was played by him for a drive back of square and was caught by wicketkeeper Samson. The stand was worth 120 runs.

Yet the damage was done. Hope’s magnificent knock had got the visitors close enough, and the West Indies crossed the line at 252/4 to clinch a historic six-wicket win with the highest successful T20I run chase in their history and second-highest in the format overall.

Brief scores:

India 249/5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 82, Tilak Varma 44; Roston Chase 3/24, Shamar Springer 2/64) lost to West Indies 252/4 in 18.3 overs (Shai Hope 102 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 84; Mayank Yadav 3/36) by six wickets.

–IANS

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