Shai Hope took WI on his back, says Daren Sammy
What's the story
West Indies cricket team head coach, Daren Sammy, has praised captain Shai Hope for his exceptional leadership during a historic ODI victory against India on Saturday. Hope scored an unbeaten 162 runs, leading the team to a record-breaking 352-run chase in the third and final match of the series. Sammy highlighted how Hope spent all 50 overs behind the stumps during India's innings and then opened batting in place of injured Jewel Andrew, anchoring West Indies's successful pursuit at PCA Stadium.
Endurance praised
Hope was in the field for 98.2 overs: Sammy
Sammy lauded Hope for his endurance.
"He was in the field for what, 98.2 overs. He literally took the team on his back today with the bat, like he's done so many times before," Sammy was quoted as saying by the ICC on Sunday.
The coach also noted that while the skipper stepping up isn't new to him, "to keep 50 overs and then put on your pads and go and play an innings like that was special."
Unrecognized impact
Hope's contributions often go unnoticed
Sammy also emphasized that Hope's contributions to West Indies cricket often go unnoticed.
"He doesn't really say much. But when he speaks, he's quite clear as to what he's expecting from himself and from the group," said Sammy.
He added, "As I said, he leads by his performance. He believes in that."
The coach stressed the importance of batsmen scoring hundreds and batting deep for a strong chance of winning matches.
Record achievement
Hope breaks records in West Indies's historic win over India
Hope's unbeaten 162 off 143 balls with 17 fours and three sixes broke Tillakaratne Dilshan's long-standing record for the highest individual score in a successful ODI chase against India.
Hope clocked his 5th ODI century versus India. He also owns 5 fifties.
Across 29 ODIs versus India, Hope owns 1,266 runs at 55.04. As per Cricbuzz, Hope (4) now owns the joint 2nd-most centuries against India in India (ODIs).
Playing his 158th ODI, Hope surpassed 6,500 runs. He has amassed 6,590 runs at 51.48. Notably, this was his 21st century in ODIs (50s: 32).