Shai Hope produced a masterclass and Keemo Paul delivered a demolition job as the West Indies beat India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, levelling the five-match series 2-2 and setting up a winner-takes-all decider.
The visitors posted a towering 247 for 3 in their 20 overs after India won the toss and captain Shreyas Iyer chose to bowl. Hope was the architect of the carnage, remaining unbeaten on 102 from just 50 balls, an innings studded with four fours and nine sixes. It was his second century of the series and the third of his T20I career — a remarkable statement of consistency at the top of the order.
Hope was superbly supported by Sherfane Rutherford, who struck an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with a brisk 33 from 12 deliveries. The unbroken 91-run stand for the fourth wicket between Hope and Rutherford left India’s attack battered and the home side chasing an Everest-like target.
India’s response was brave but ultimately short. Sanju Samson kept the chase alive with a scintillating 56 off 23 balls, and contributions from Tilak Varma (43 off 25) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 off 20) — the latter two adding a 70-run partnership — raised hopes of an unlikely heist. But wickets kept falling at the wrong moments, and the hosts were eventually bowled out for 223 in 19.3 overs. Their innings ended on a sour note when Arshdeep Singh retired hurt with a shoulder injury, denying India its last recognised batter.
The chief destroyer was Keemo Paul, whose 5 for 41 ripped the heart out of India’s middle and lower order, with Gudakesh Motie providing excellent support with 2 for 13. It was a bowling performance of the highest quality under scoreboard pressure — Paul varied his pace intelligently on a surface that otherwise rewarded attacking batting.
The result is a fitting outcome for a series that has swung wildly from one match to the next. India will rue their decision to chase on a ground known for high scores, but the West Indies were simply the better side on the night — their top order was ruthless and their bowlers held their nerve when the chase threatened to catch fire.
Attention now shifts to Bengaluru. The fifth and deciding T20I will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, October 17, with play scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST. India will be desperate to make amends in front of a home crowd, while the West Indies will fancy their chances of a famous series triumph on Indian soil.
