In a thrilling encounter at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, West Indies captain Shai Hope played the role of the sheet anchor to perfection, guiding his team to a crucial six-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International of the three-match series.

After the Windies’ bowlers took advantage of the helpful pitch and a lackluster batting display by India, dismissing them for 181 in just 40.5 overs, Hope’s unbeaten 63 and the valuable support from Keacy Carty (48 not out) in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 91 put an end to their nine-match losing streak against India in ODIs, spanning four years.

This victory was a remarkable comeback following the West Indies’ disappointing five-wicket loss in the series opener at the same venue just three days prior, setting the stage for an exciting series decider scheduled for Tuesday at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

Hope and Carty came together at a critical juncture when Shimron Hetmyer fell to Kuldeep Yadav, leaving the home side struggling at 91 for four in the 17th over. Earlier, Shardul Thakur’s three-wicket burst had brought India back into the game after the Windies had a promising 53-run opening stand between Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.

Delighted with his performance, Hope expressed his contentment with contributing to team victories, regardless of personal milestones. He said, “Once I can contribute to team wins, I am happy. Whether I get a 50, whether I get a hundred, whether I get a double-hundred, as long as we win, I am happy.” He also praised his partnership with Carty, noting that they had to work hard for every run against India’s formidable bowling attack.

In the first innings, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and seamer Romario Shepherd wreaked havoc, claiming three wickets each, as India, who rested regular captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, struggled after an opening partnership of 90 between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill. The interruptions due to seasonal showers further hampered India’s efforts to build momentum in the middle and lower order.

While the loss was disappointing for India, stand-in captain Hardik Pandya remained positive, emphasizing that the upcoming decider presented an opportunity for the team to show their character and bounce back. He praised some good individual performances and expressed the team’s eagerness to give their best in the final match.

With all to play for in the series decider, cricket fans eagerly await the thrilling conclusion to this intense contest between the West Indies and India.

Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran displayed exceptional batting performances, scoring centuries to lead the West Indies to a convincing 101-run victory over Nepal at the World Cup Qualifier in Harare on Thursday.

Hope contributed a remarkable 132 runs, while Pooran played aggressively, smashing a quick 115. The duo formed a formidable partnership of 216 runs for the fourth wicket, rescuing their team after a shaky start. The West Indies posted a challenging total of 339/7.

The West Indies got off to a rocky start, losing Kyle Mayers early for just one run and Johnson Charles for a duck, leaving them at 9/2. However, opener Brandon King stabilized the innings with a score of 32 before being dismissed by leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.

“We were put on the back foot there,” said Hope. “The key was absorbing as much pressure as possible and then finding a way to transfer that pressure in the back end. Pooran made it a lot easier for me. The aim was to take it as deep as possible to give us the best chance towards the end.”

Hope and Pooran took control of the game in the 16th over, shifting the momentum in favor of the West Indies. Nepal’s dropped catch off Pooran early in his innings proved costly for the opposition. Wicket-keeper Aasif Sheikh missed an opportunity to dismiss Pooran off the bowling of Lalit Rajbanshi when the batsman was on just three runs.

While Hope maintained a steady pace, Pooran took on the role of the aggressor. Both players reached their respective centuries in the 40th over. Hope completed his 15th ODI hundred off 107 balls, while Pooran reached his second one-day century off 81 balls, four years after his first.

Eventually, Pooran was dismissed for 115 by Dipendra Singh Airee, who took a stunning catch off his own bowling. Rovman Powell (29) and Jason Holder (16 not out) contributed quick runs to ensure a formidable total for the West Indies. Hope was caught at long-off in the final over for 132, and the West Indies ended their innings at 339/7, with Lalit Rajbanshi taking 3/52.

Nepal struggled during their chase as Alzarri Joseph dismantled Kushal Bhurtel’s stumps in the second over. Bhim Sharki followed suit, getting caught behind off Jason Holder’s bowling while attempting a scoop shot. Although several Nepali batsmen made promising starts, only Aarif Sheikh managed to surpass fifty, scoring 63 before falling victim to a brilliant catch by Pooran in the deep. Nepal was eventually bowled out for 238.

Holder was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies, claiming 3/34, while Joseph, Keemo Paul, and Akeal Hosein all took two wickets each.

With two wins in the bag, the West Indies moved ahead of hosts Zimbabwe at the top of Group A, based on net run rate. The West Indies and Zimbabwe will clash in their next match on Saturday.

In the other match on Thursday, the Netherlands bounced back from their initial defeat against Zimbabwe by inflicting a third consecutive loss on the United States. Shayan Jahangir top-scored with 71 for the USA, who managed to reach 211/8. However, Dutch captain Scott Edwards guided his team to a five-wicket victory with an unbeaten 67, supported by Teja Nidamanuru’s 58.

With the USA now eliminated from contention, the Netherlands and Nepal will face each other on Saturday in a crucial match that will likely determine which team advances to the Super Six stage.

The qualifiers continue on Friday

In the first ODI of the three-match series, the Caribbeans won by 7 wickets using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. The 45-over game was played due to rain on Tuesday in Amstelveen. Batting first in the match, the Netherlands lost by 7 wickets and scored 240 runs. West Indies reached the target of victory with 11 balls to spare.

Hope became the best of the match by playing an innings of 119 runs from 130 balls. He had 12 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. King made an unbeaten 58 off 51 balls with five fours and two sixes. 60 runs from 67 balls came from their bat of Brooks. West Indies got off to a winning start with Nicholas Puran leading the white ball permanently.

This is the first win after losing five matches in a row in ODIs. They scored a valuable 10 points in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.

Opting to bat after losing the toss, the Netherlands got off to a good start with an opening stand of 63 runs between Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh. Akil Hossain broke the Partnership by lbw Bikramjit who scored 47 runs from 45 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes. O’Dwyer, bowled by Hayden Walsh, made 39 off 69 balls. Musa Ahmed, Bas de Leede, Scott Edwards, and captain Peter Seeler did nothing well.