Shai Hope, the Windies’ star of their tied one-day international against India, said his aim had been to bat deep, while the hosts’ Kuldeep Yadav declared himself satisfied with the result.
The Windies were set a target of 322, after Virat Kohli made history with another imperious century to take his side to 321/6 in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, 24 October. Hope’s hundred then anchored the chase, with young Shimron Hetmyer making sure the asking rate was in control with his 94 off 64 balls.
Windies needed 14 off the final over, bowled by Umesh Yadav, and five off the last ball – Hope dispatched it to the boundary to thrillingly tie the score.
“It was very difficult to bowl in the dew,” said India’s Kuldeep Yadav, who finished with 3/67. “The square was quick and the ball gets wet. It was difficult for a spinner. I was feeling uncomfortable gripping the ball.”
Yet, the bowing unit was happy with their performance, he insisted. After all, at one point, the opposition needed only 63 runs from the final ten overs.
“These type of things (dew) will come in the future. We need to practise a lot,” Yadav said. “At one stage we were out of the game. So we’ve done a really good job as a bowling unit.”
Hetmyer, who made a century in the first game, took the attack to the Indians, smashing four fours and seven sixes. According to Yadav, that changed the momentum of the game.
“He played brilliantly,” said the Indian left-arm wrist-spinner. “In the first game he took our bowlers on and today as well. It was very difficult to bowl to him due to dew. He was batting really well. We were trying to contain runs, but that didn’t happen.”
