Hope, Rutherford Power West Indies to Record Chase Against India in Ranchi

West Indies captain Shai Hope credited crucial partnerships and Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive batting for his team’s remarkable six-wicket victory over India in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. The visitors chased down a formidable target of 250, completing the second-highest successful run chase in men’s T20I cricket.

Hope led the charge with a stunning 45-ball century, while Rutherford smashed 84 off just 37 deliveries as the West Indies reached 252/4 in 18 overs to secure a commanding victory.

The chase, however, got off to a disastrous start for the visitors, who were reduced to 5/2 early in their innings. Hope, who was named Player of the Match, admitted that the early setbacks made the task difficult but said teams chasing big totals in India always have reason to believe they can pull off a victory.

“It was always going to be a tough chase. But when you chase here in India, you always give yourself a chance. You always think you're in the game, regardless of what score is on the board. But five for two was always going to be challenging,” Hope said after the match.

The West Indies captain said his partnership with Rovman Powell helped stabilise the innings and restore momentum before Rutherford’s aggressive approach shifted the balance decisively in the visitors’ favour.

“When we got that partnership there, myself and Rovman, we just got some more impetus in the innings, and then obviously Sherfane came and did what he did, played really well with the bat, and just gave us that spark that we needed to get over the line today,” he said.

Hope and Rutherford subsequently put together a match-winning 120-run partnership for the fourth wicket, with both batters complementing each other’s approach. While Hope brought up his century off 45 balls, Rutherford provided the fireworks with seven fours and seven sixes.

Explaining why he was comfortable allowing Rutherford to take the lead in the attack, Hope stressed the importance of building partnerships and assessing the situation rather than taking unnecessary risks.

“I really believe that we need to bat a lot better in partnerships. It's something that we tend to lack every now and again, but sometimes you just got to sit back, as you say, and watch your partner play shots,” he said.

Hope added that maintaining the required scoring rate was more important than matching his partner’s aggression at every stage of the chase.

“In that situation there, as long as we kept going at the rate to keep up with the game, then I didn't need to take any unnecessary risk. I thought we were going really nicely, so just about calculating that chase as best we can,” he said.

Hope also praised off-spinner Roston Chase for his disciplined bowling, which helped the West Indies contain India after the hosts made an explosive start. Chase finished with figures of 3/24, providing crucial breakthroughs to restrict India to 249/5.

Describing the performance as exceptional given the batting-friendly conditions, Hope said Chase’s spell helped keep the visitors in contention and eased the pressure on the other bowlers.

“On a surface and a field like this, to go at six runs an over is unbelievable. So he really kept us in the game. I know it was very difficult conditions to bowl on, so the way how he bowled and kept us in the game made it a lot easier for us to do that throughout the chase,” Hope said.

The West Indies skipper also spoke about his ability to clear the boundaries consistently, crediting his bats, the conditions and a little bit of luck for his outstanding innings.

“I just must say, all those SS bats that I have are pretty good. But yeah, the ball seemed to be travelling quite a bit here. Yes, the boundaries were a little bit bigger on the bigger side, but you just got to back myself. Just once the ball's in my zone, look at the best option to get the boundary, and it just came off well today,” he said.

Hope acknowledged that fortune had also favoured him on the night, adding that he hoped to continue his current run of form.

“As I said before, I got to get some luck going my way, and today was one of those days for me,” he added.

The captain attributed his recent success to consistent preparation and efforts to remain mentally fresh rather than any particular advantage he enjoyed while playing in India.

“Maybe I could say it's a good streak I have with my form right now, but I just think the way I'm preparing, the way I'm trying to stay mentally fresh and ready is giving me the best chance of performing. I just hope it continues as long as possible,” Hope said.

Despite producing one of the standout innings of his career, Hope said he was determined to remain composed and not let the success affect his approach to the game.

“No, definitely not. I never try to get too high. I try to keep myself as neutral as I can,” he said.

The result gave the West Indies a 1-0 lead in the series, as the visitors overcame an early collapse to complete a memorable chase. India's Mayank Yadav had threatened to derail the pursuit with a three-wicket burst, but Hope and Rutherford turned the contest around with a decisive fourth-wicket stand.