Shai Hope's 162* Lifts West Indies to Record 352 Chase as India Settle for 2-1 ODI Series Win

A Record Chase in the Series Finale

West Indies pulled off their highest successful ODI chase to stun India by five wickets with 10 balls to spare in the third and final ODI of the series, denying the hosts a clean sweep and handing themselves a major confidence boost ahead of the T20I leg.

Captain Shai Hope was at the heart of the pursuit, finishing unbeaten on 162 from 143 balls — his 21st ODI century — after keeping wicket for 50 overs and battling cramps for nearly half of his innings. Fittingly, the winning run came off his bat: with the scores level, he hung back and eased a fuller delivery outside off down to long off for a single.

“There's the winning run. And fittingly, it comes from the skipper's bat,” came the call as the Men in Maroon completed a record-breaking chase, one that tasted all the sweeter for avoiding a series whitewash.

Hope Holds the Innings Together

A finger injury to Jewel Andrew forced Hope to open the innings, and the move proved a blessing for West Indies. He was central to the chase from the outset, and his 109-run stand with Amir Jangoo laid the platform before he forged useful partnerships with Sherfane Rutherford and Keemo Paul that ensured the required rate never spiralled out of control.

Hope lost some fluency either side of his century, and cramps added to his challenge. India briefly pushed the required rate up during that spell, but Hope found his rhythm again while Gudakesh Motie chipped in with timely boundaries. From needing 56 off 30 balls, West Indies got home with 10 balls to spare.

Anshul Kamboj's over went for 22 runs, with Motie pulling a six into the stands and top-edging another short ball to the fence, leaving just seven needed off 12 balls. Naman Dhir then bowled a game-sealing over as 49 runs came off the last three overs: Hope swept a full toss on the pads over deep fine leg for six to level the scores, then took the single that sealed it.

Seales Strikes Early, but India Rebuild

Wickets with the new ball had been missing for West Indies in the first two games, and Jayden Seales stepped up to end that wait, accounting for Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli early to reduce India to 4/2. Ruturaj Gaikwad was dropped four times, and but for those reprieves India's start could have been far worse.

Gaikwad and Rohit Sharma rebuilt with a 137-run stand. Rohit fell short of a hundred, but KL Rahul's career-best 129 carried India to 351 — a total that ultimately proved insufficient.

India had wanted to challenge themselves by batting first and defending a total. Instead, the defeat left them with questions to answer about their bowling and fielding.

Gill Takes Series Award and Flags the Cracks

India captain Shubman Gill was named Player of the Series for his batting brilliance across the three matches, scoring 334 runs including a double century and a century.

Gill said the side ticked a lot of boxes but was quick to admit there were areas needing fine-tuning. On the total, he said he was very happy with what India put up and felt the game was well in control before the side fell four overs behind, and also pointed to the dew that allowed West Indies to snatch it away at the end.

On holding back Kuldeep Yadav's final two overs, Gill pointed to uncertainty over whether Gurnoor Brar would return to the field, and said he wanted to save Kuldeep Yadav, a proven wicket-taker, for the business end of the innings.

He sounded decently pleased with the team's overall progress but was clear there is still work to do. Fielding, he stressed, stands out as one area, with too many catches going down, and he wants it to be top-notch going forward. Death bowling is the second concern, with Gill admitting there are moments when it is not clear whether the side is attacking or defending in those overs.

Hope Credits Dhoni Chat and Thanks the Dew

Hope took the Player of the Match award for his 162 not out from 143 balls. He said chasing in India is always a little easier, especially with the dew, and was delighted to finish the series on a strong note.

He revealed that a conversation with MS Dhoni helped him approach the chase differently, with the former India captain reminding him that batters often have more time than they think. Hope added that he was aware India's over-rate penalty would force them to bring more fielders inside the circle, so he was happy to remain patient.

Reflecting on the series, Hope felt West Indies played some really good cricket in patches and was particularly pleased with the consistency shown by the batters. He hoped the bowling could improve going forward, and with the T20I series starting in two days, he was hopeful of recovering in time to be fit for the opener.

Keemo Paul: “Keep the Rate Under Eight”

Keemo Paul said the plan while batting alongside Hope was to keep the required run rate under eight an over. Noticing Hope was struggling a touch, he knew it was on him to start taking a few more chances.

Knowing West Indies were a batter short, Paul credited the coaching staff for breaking the chase down into phases. Having watched how India batted earlier, he felt chasing was always slightly easier in these conditions, which kept belief firm through the innings.

Paul called Hope a modern-day legend for West Indies and rated his batting through the series as nothing short of incredible. On what the series means for him personally, he stressed the main thing is not to get complacent and that he simply wants to contribute whenever the team needs him and keep performing consistently. On his bowling, he pointed to the plans his side had over the past few games, with the focus purely on hitting the right lengths consistently.

What West Indies Take Away

West Indies arrived with their pace attack billed as their real strength, but barring Jayden Seales, few of them left much of an impression with the ball. On the batting front, Justin Greaves, John Campbell and Amir Jangoo stepping up was a big positive, showing the side is not always dependent on Shai Hope alone.

India take the series, but the bowling will be the lingering worry. Having conceded 405 in Guwahati and then failed to defend 351 here, they have plenty to work on before the bigger assignments ahead. Attention now turns to the T20I leg, with the first of five T20Is to be played on Tuesday, 6th October, in Lucknow, starting at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST).