India and West Indies level at 2-2 before T20 series decider in Bengaluru
The five-match T20 series goes to a decider in Bengaluru after West Indies captain Shai Hope hit two unbeaten centuries to level the contest at 2-2.
At a glance
- India and West Indies are level at 2-2 before the deciding fifth T20 in Bengaluru on Saturday.
- West Indies captain Shai Hope has scored two unbeaten centuries in the T20 series, including 102 off 45 balls in the second match.
- India won the first and third T20s, while West Indies took the second and fourth to force a decider.
India face West Indies in the fifth and final T20 international at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, with the series level at 2-2. The match starts at 7pm local time (13:30 GMT), and Al Jazeera Sport will carry build-up from 11:30 GMT before live text commentary.
Series level after West Indies fightback
The white-ball tour began with three one-day internationals. India took an unassailable lead with eight-wicket wins in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, then posted 351-7 in New Chandigarh, built largely around KL Rahul's 129 off 87 balls. West Indies captain Shai Hope replied with an unbeaten 162 off 143 balls to seal a five-wicket win — the highest ODI run chase in West Indies history.
India won the first T20 with 5.2 overs to spare, bowling West Indies out for 171 despite fifties from Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, with Naman Dhir taking three wickets. Hope then struck an unbeaten 102 from just 45 balls as West Indies completed their highest successful T20 chase, finishing on 252-4 in reply to India's 249-5.
India edged the third match by 14 runs after making 223, with Abhishek Sharma hitting 69 off 30 balls and Arshdeep Singh taking three wickets as West Indies were restricted to 209-7.
Hope's record run
In the fourth T20, Hope made his second century of the series, an unbeaten 102 featuring nine sixes and four fours — a record tally for a West Indies batter in a T20 international. West Indies, put in, reached 247-3, the second-highest first-innings total in T20s against India, behind England's 257-3 in Southampton this year. Sanju Samson's 56 off 23 balls gave India a fast start, but Keemo Paul's five-wicket haul delivered a 24-run win for the tourists that levelled the series.
Hope, who has collected three player-of-the-match awards on the tour, joked about the weight of his prizes: "To be honest, they are a bit heavy, and we have got to look at the luggage weight... I think we are going to have some problems going back home."
The line-ups
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
West Indies: Shai Hope (c and w), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Keemo Paul, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- When and where is the India vs West Indies fifth T20 international?
- It is at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17, starting at 7pm local time (13:30 GMT). Al Jazeera Sport will have build-up from 11:30 GMT.
- What is the series score going into the final match?
- The five-match T20 series is level at 2-2 after West Indies won the fourth game by 24 runs in a series-levelling victory.
- Who has been the standout player on the tour?
- West Indies captain Shai Hope has hit two unbeaten centuries in the T20 series, a record tally of boundaries for a West Indies batter, and has three player-of-the-match awards on the tour.
