The newly inaugurated PCA Stadium was adorned for its inaugural men’s One Day International match, with hopes high for local talent Shubman Gill to continue his impressive form. However, after a remarkable run where the West Indies had only dismissed him once in 241 balls over two matches, luck was not on his side. The fans were left disappointed as Gill failed to deliver a performance worthy of the occasion, while his opponent, Shai Hope, shone in the spotlight. Hope had previously witnessed Gill’s dominant display during a 406-run chase just days earlier in Guwahati.
In a week that saw him switch batting positions three times, Hope returned to his preferred opening role and achieved remarkable success, scoring an unbeaten 162—his fifth century against India. His performance led the West Indies to a convincing five-wicket victory while successfully chasing down a target of 352 runs on Saturday.
The Indian team management had some positives to take away, including a brilliant century from KL Rahul and a solid 92 from Rohit Sharma. However, the bowling unit raised several concerns after a disappointing attempt to defend their total.
Despite facing a batting lineup weakened by injuries, the West Indies’ top order maintained pressure on the Indian bowlers, keeping pace with the required run rate from the outset. India’s initial bowling struggles were alleviated momentarily when Mohammed Siraj bowled John Campbell in the fifth over. However, the search for reliable bowling alternatives faltered again as Hope and Amir Jangoo capitalized on debutant Anshul Kamboj’s first spell, which yielded 41 runs in just five overs. Kamboj had been brought in as a late replacement for Prasidh Krishna during India A’s first-class match in Pondicherry.
A run-out by Virat Kohli’s sharp reflexes was the only potential disruption to the 111-run partnership between Jangoo and Hope. Kuldeep Yadav failed to find success, while Naman Dhir managed to claim a wicket under controversial circumstances with a caught-behind decision.
Hope, who had moved up from No. 3 in the previous match, steadily approached his fifth century against India, with this being his second consecutive century. Faced with limited support from the lower batting order, an injury to Jewel Andrew and cramping legs slowed Hope’s scoring rate significantly, as he went 44 balls without a boundary between scores of 87 and 126. However, he regained momentum in the final four overs, scoring freely alongside Gudakesh Motie, which ultimately sealed the match for the West Indies.
Earlier in the game, India’s middle order showcased its depth with KL Rahul marking his first appearance with the bat this series. He built on a solid foundation laid by Rohit, who faced a fierce opening spell from the West Indies bowlers.
Jayden Seales and Matthew Forde managed to lure Gill into an early mistake, leading to his dismissal after a string of precise deliveries. Gill’s rare miscalculation saw him edge a ball to the keeper, while Kohli followed suit the very next ball, marking his fourth golden duck in over 300 innings.
Rohit, after a cautious start, eventually found his rhythm, hitting a six over square-leg amidst a fluctuating performance in this series. Despite some struggles in the early overs, he found success against the West Indies’ spinners, but he ultimately fell short of a century, getting caught at deep mid-wicket for 92.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who survived several dropped catches, held the innings together until Rahul, coming in at No. 5, took charge. Rahul reached his half-century off just 41 balls and played a crucial role in guiding the lower order, proving his worth with a barrage of sixes in the latter part of the innings.
Despite India’s impressive total of 351/7, it was not enough against the West Indies, who reached 352/5 in 48.2 overs, thanks to Hope’s stellar performance and Jangoo’s solid contribution.
Final scores: India 351/7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 129 not out, Rohit Sharma 92; Jayden Seales 3/62) lost to West Indies 352/5 in 48.2 overs (Shai Hope 162 not out, Amir Jangoo 67) by five wickets.
