Hope preaches consistency as West Indies seek to end two-decade India ODI drought

The last time Shai Hope toured India, as a 25-year-old in 2018, his returns swung wildly between the sublime and the miserable — an unbeaten century in a tied game, a 95 in the next, then two straight ducks. One of those ducks came at the Greenfield Stadium in Trivandrum, the very venue that will host the series opener against India this time around. Now, as captain and one of the world's premier ODI batters, Hope is in a position to distil those hard lessons for a junior-heavy squad.

“When I was younger in my career as well, for the tour, I was expecting a lot from myself. I wanted to see where I was at,” Hope recalled in Trivandrum. He commendably translated those oscillating numbers into a tremendous run on his next tour, averaging 150-plus with two unbeaten centuries. Now there are others in Hope's position from 2018, looking to make a dent as first-timers in India.

“Consistency is the biggest thing for us”

Much like Hope's first India visit, West Indies cricket has oscillated radically between the good and the bad. Hope is blunt about the root cause.

“Consistency is the biggest thing for us. We've seen great sparks from different series and from different people in West Indies cricket,” Hope admitted. “It's about repeating that, trying to get those performances rather than one or two games, just try to extend that for two, three, four series.”

Recent numbers betray that inability. Since 2025, West Indies have played seven bilateral series and won only one, leaving them with a win percentage of 27.27 — the second lowest in the world. Ranked tenth, they have not qualified for the World Cup automatically and must navigate the Qualifiers.

“You know it’s cricket, you are not going to always have the best of times, but the more consistent we can be in the way we go about our cricket, I think we'll find a lot more success,” Hope said. “Consistent performance will keep us in good stead for the preparation for the World Cup. Hopefully we can get through the Qualifiers as well. I just think the consistency factor will allow us to be a lot better as a team going forward in the ODI.”

A great indicator — and a heavy historical burden

For Hope, the India tour prepares a team like few others. “It's a great opportunity,” he said. “But first, we need to make that World Cup. We've got to go to the Qualifiers, unfortunately. But playing India in their backyard is always a challenge. It's one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace.”

Hope calls it a “great indicator” for where they stand. “When you're playing internationally, you want to play against the best. When you’ve got India in home conditions, then you get a real test.”

The great divide is not just a present-day contrast; West Indies carry historical baggage too. Not since 2002 have they won an ODI series in India, and since 2006 India have clinched each of the 13 series between the two sides.

“The harsh reality is almost every series that we go into, those stats are always at the top of the list,” Hope conceded. “We always say we haven't been in this team in 20 years or 15+ years. So that means when we are taking our strides, we must be doing something right. So, you can talk about not automatically qualifying for the World Cup, but certainly some of the strides that we make as a team is definitely commendable.”

Reversing the long-standing statistical blot is a definite “added motivation” for Hope, but also a “tough, uphill battle”.

An unsettled top order

For the tourists, an obvious weakness is at the top. Hope has moved down the order, and while his switch has brought benefits, it has left the West Indies' top half unsettled. Since the 2023 World Cup, West Indies openers average just 23.4 — the lowest of any team — having used eight different opening batters and 11 separate pairs.

“Here in India, you’re going to play differently as to Australia or even in the Caribbean. It’s about being very critical of the training and preparation. That’s something I want to put out there in the team rooms,” Hope said.

Beyond Hope and Keacy Carty, none of the core batting group has played 30-plus ODIs. For a 29-year-old Amir Jangoo or a 19-year-old Jewel Andrew, still new to the West Indies kit, it is a chance to give “a good start to their India career”. Jangoo, in particular, turned heads with a Test double-century against Sri Lanka in June — the gritty, hard-to-move style West Indies have long searched for. With a reinvented Hope batting alongside him in the middle order, there can be no better support from within.

A stabler bowling attack

Their bowling poses a stabler look. Jayden Seales has been promising since his U19 days and is finally hitting the right notes in ODIs. Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde both ended CPL 2026 among four joint-highest wicket-takers. The spin attack has added layers too: Gudakesh Motie was excellent at the T20 World Cup earlier this year and was the standout bowler in the New Zealand ODIs. Alongside Roston Chase, there is the exciting Vitel Lawes — all of 19, with a standout CPL season and a cracking debut in New Zealand already behind him.

It all needs to come together, and the best bits cannot be far and fleeting. “We found ourselves in some very bright sparks, and you get some extraordinary performances, whether it's from a bowling standpoint or from a batting perspective, but you never see it as consistent as you want to,” Hope admitted. “Let's say the first game of the series, you have an exceptional game, but then the next one, you don't tend to follow it up.”

It was a nod to the New Zealand series, where West Indies slipped from a 1-0 lead to lose three in a row. After a one-wicket heartbreak in the fourth ODI, Jangoo felt the side “did not deserve to play the World Cup qualifiers” — yet that is the reality.

An imposing India challenge leaves no room to relent, but Hope's West Indies are slowly hoping to claw back — step by step, steered by self-reflection, without compromising on dreaming big. “I think we've bridged the gap by 19-20 points or so from the eighth or ninth ranked team,” Hope said. “So, we are showing signs, but if you want to be the best, No.1, No.2, No.3, you've got to do it more consistently.”