West Indies captain Shai Hope defended his bowling decisions after a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I. His unbeaten 102 and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul helped West Indies defend 247/3, level the five-match series 2-2.
West Indies captain Shai Hope backed his team’s bowling decisions after the visitors defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20 International, levelling the five-match series 2-2. Hope said a total of more than 240 was competitive on a surface that offered variable bounce and became increasingly difficult for batters as the innings progressed.
Hope delivered a remarkable batting performance, scoring an unbeaten 102 off just 50 balls to guide West Indies to 247/3. Fast bowler Keemo Paul then claimed five wickets to restrict India to 223, securing an important victory for the Caribbean side and keeping their hopes of winning the series alive.
Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Hope explained his decision to use spinner Gudakesh Motie for only two overs, despite the bowler taking two wickets in successive deliveries. The West Indies captain said bowling strategies in Indian conditions often required difficult decisions, particularly when deciding whether to continue with a bowler after a successful spell.
“Here in India, it’s always tough to give bowlers three in a row,” Hope said, explaining that captains must assess the conditions and make decisions based on the match situation. He added that the team had to trust its choices, even when circumstances suggested that another over might be useful.
Hope also pointed to the impact of dew, saying conditions had been more balanced for both teams than in some of the previous matches. He acknowledged India’s performance and praised the hosts for competing across different phases of the game, while expressing satisfaction that West Indies had given themselves an opportunity to win the series.
According to Hope, the presence of dew was always likely to influence India’s chase, but the visitors managed to defend their total through disciplined bowling and important breakthroughs at crucial moments.
The West Indies skipper’s unbeaten century proved central to the victory. He explained that the team’s strategy was to build a solid foundation during the opening overs before allowing the middle order to accelerate and produce a strong finish.
Hope highlighted the importance of the opening partnership, which exceeded 50 runs and helped establish momentum. Once the foundation was in place, the batters could take greater risks during the middle overs and attempt to maximise the final stages of the innings.
Sherfane Rutherford provided valuable support with an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls, helping West Indies finish at 247/3. The total became the team’s second-highest T20 International score against India, putting considerable pressure on the hosts during the chase.
Hope said he considered the total a decent score after assessing the behaviour of the pitch. Although the surface initially appeared likely to offer better batting conditions, he noticed that the ball was behaving unpredictably, with some deliveries bouncing sharply while others stayed lower than expected.
He added that the combination of variable bounce, spin and pace bowling made it more difficult for batters to hit through the line as the innings progressed. These factors strengthened his belief that a total above 240 would provide the West Indies bowlers with a realistic chance of defending it.
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India attempted to chase the challenging target but finished on 223, falling 24 runs short. Keemo Paul was the standout performer with the ball, recording figures of 5/41 and dismantling India’s batting order at important stages. Motie’s two wickets in successive deliveries also disrupted the hosts’ momentum.
Reflecting on his Player of the Match award, Hope joked that collecting several trophies during the tour could create problems with his luggage allowance on the journey home. He then returned to the importance of team performance, stressing that his primary objective was to give West Indies the best possible chance of winning.
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The victory brought the five-match series level at 2-2, setting up a decisive final contest. For West Indies, Hope’s century and Paul’s five-wicket haul demonstrated the value of combining aggressive batting with effective bowling execution. The team will now look to carry that momentum into the series decider, while India will aim to respond after falling short in Bengaluru.
