West Indies beat India by six wickets in the India vs West Indies 2nd T20I in Ranchi on Friday, chasing down 250 to level the five-match series 1-1.
It is the highest successful run chase in West Indies’ T20I history, and the second-highest anyone has managed in the format. Captain Shai Hope finished unbeaten on a century, hitting the winning six off Axar Patel.
India had posted 249 for 5 after being sent in to bat. At 58 for 3 in reply, the game looked over. It was not.
Samson’s 82 sets the platform
India’s innings belonged to Sanju Samson. Dropped early by Nicholas Pooran at cover, the opener made West Indies pay with 82 off 41 balls, including nine fours and four sixes.
His fifty came in 21 balls, the joint-fastest by an Indian against West Indies in T20Is. Only Virat Kohli has reached fifty that quickly against them, back in 2019.
Samson found good support. Ishan Kishan hit 43 off 22 balls, Shreyas Iyer made 40 off 18, and Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 44 off 18. India took 87 runs from the last six overs. Roston Chase, with three wickets, was the only West Indies bowler who held his own.
Hope turns 58 for 3 into a win
West Indies’ chase began badly. Mayank Yadav dismissed Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer in the first over, then removed Rovman Powell with a 149.5kph delivery. Three wickets down, 192 still needed.
Shai Hope steadied things first, reaching his fifty in 24 balls. Then Sherfane Rutherford joined in with 78 off 32, and the pair took the attack apart. Kuldeep Yadav, usually India’s most reliable bowler, finished with 1 for 53.
Hope completed his hundred with the winning six. West Indies finished on 252 for 4 in 18.3 overs, with nine balls to spare, chasing down 250.
Series level, Indore next
The five-match series is now 1-1. India had won the first T20I in Lucknow by eight wickets after bowling West Indies out for 171. Defending 249 in Ranchi proved a different story entirely.
The third T20I is in Indore on October 11, followed by Hyderabad on the 14th and Bengaluru on the 17th.
Nobody will forget this India vs West Indies 2nd T20I in a hurry.
It has been a busy week for Indian cricket. And as Messi’s farewell showed earlier this week, sport does not do scripts.