By Prior Beharry
BECOMING the fourth West Indies cricketer to score a century in his 100th One-Day International, Shai Hope played his anchor role from the top of the order to great effect on Sunday. But it still was not enough.
The unlikely hero for India was Axar Patel coming in at number seven and hitting a belligerent 64 that included the second fastest ODI fifty for India in just 27 balls. His efforts made him the Man of the Match.
Hope’s ton and an aggressive 74 of 77 balls from skipper Nicholas Pooran helped West Indies to cross 300 runs in two consecutive ODIs. But the result was no different as when they chased on Friday. The home team made 311 this time around and allowed India to set a record successful run chase at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
It means that India have taken an unassailable lead in the three-match series with the final game at the same venue on Wednesday.
Looking like the same pitch that both teams played on in Friday’s first game, Pooran winning the toss again put India in to bat unlike in the first game when India made 308 and West Indies fell just three runs short.
Hope brought up his fifty and hundred with sixes and was caught by Axar for 115 off 135 balls in the 49th over. Shardul Thakur was the bowler.
West Indies opening partnership was 65 before Kyle Mayers went for 39 off 23 balls. Shamarh Brooks got to 35 before being the only scalp of Axar.
Brandon King did not trouble the scorers and in came Pooran in the 23rd over at 130 for three. When he left in 43.4 overs, West Indies were 247 and the skipper contributed 74 out of the 117-run fourth-wicket stand with Hope.
Thakur had three wickets in his seven overs conceding 54 runs. Deepak Hooda, Axar and Yuzvendra Chahal had one a piece.
India started their innings slow with captain Shikhar Dhawan the first to go in the 11th over for only 13.
Shubman Gill was out for 43 and Shreyas Iyer was LBW to Alzarri Jospeh for 63. Sanju Samson also got a half-century.
But, India seemed out of it, but found a hero in Axar who scored his maiden ODI fifty.
The visitors needed 100 from the last ten overs with Axar and Depak Hooda at the crease. When Hooda was caught by Hayden Walsh Jr for 33, the equation was 56 from 36 balls.
Axar, the number seven batsman, ended on 64 not out from 35 balls with three 4s and five 6s, the last of which ended the match with two balls to spare.
