Shai Hope attributed his success to a conversation with MS Dhoni, revealing that the Indian legend’s advice about perceiving ample time at the crease had profoundly impacted his game.
The West Indies captain Shai Hope credited his match-winning century against England to a valuable tip from MS Dhoni. Dhoni’s advice, shared in a prior chat, emphasized realizing more time availability at the crease. Hope’s stunning 109 off 83 balls propelled the team to their second-highest successful ODI run chase at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Reflecting on his innings, Hope highlighted playing for victory as his ultimate goal.
“It [the century] was in a winning cause and that’s all I play for. Happy that we won. I had a chat with MS Dhoni some time back and he told me that you always have a lot more time at the crease than you think and that stuck with me,” said Hope.
On the match front, England chose to bat, setting a formidable 325-run target led by Harry Brook’s brisk 71 off 70 balls, well-supported by Phil Salt and Zak Crawley’s near half-centuries. Late contributions from Sam Curran (38 off 26) and Brydon Chase (31 off 21) bolstered the total beyond 300.
West Indies began their chase strongly, with Alick Athanaze and Brandon King forging a solid 100-run partnership. However, a brief stumble saw WI lose three wickets in 42 runs. Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer steadied proceedings with a 54-run partnership. Hope, aided by Romario Shepard’s aggressive 48 off 28 balls, guided WI to victory with an 89-run partnership. Despite a strong batting display, Curran struggled with the ball, registering the worst ODI figures for an England bowler at 9.5-0-98-0.
Last Updated on December 4, 2023
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