Batting first after being asked to take strike, West Indies piled up 247 runs, with Hope leading the charge on a batting-friendly surface. Sherfane Rutherford provided strong support with an unbeaten 49, as the pair stitched together a rapid 91-run partnership off 43 balls for the fourth wicket.
Hope reached its century in dramatic fashion. Needing 10 runs off the final two deliveries, he switched bats and launched consecutive sixes to bring up his hundred. The skipper smashed nine sixes and four fours, registering his second century of the series.
India’s woes were compounded by a costly dropped catch. Tilak Varma failed to hold onto Hope at long-on after losing sight of the ball in the floodlights, giving the West Indies captain a lifeline he fully capitalized on.
The Indian bowlers endured another difficult outing, conceding 79 runs in the powerplay, the highest powerplay score by West Indies against India. They also bowled 13 wides, with Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh struggling for control.
Chasing 248, India got off to a flying start through Sanju Samson, who hammered 56 off 20 balls. However, wickets at regular intervals derailed the chase. Abhishek Sharma scored 29, while Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer failed to make substantial contributions.
Tilak Varma (43) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) revived India’s hopes with a 70-run stand, but both fell at crucial stages. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 223 in 19.3 overs.
Keemo Paul was the standout bowler for West Indies, claiming five wickets to seal victory and ensure the visitors drew level in the series after bouncing back from defeat in the previous match.
