Had to Get Bat to Ball, Hope Says After Match Ends in Tie

Visakhapatnam, Oct 24 (PTI) Centurion Shai Hope said his aim was to just put bat to ball in the last delivery after the final-ball boundary helped West Indies steal a draw from India in the second ODI here Wednesday.

Chasing 322 to win at the start of innings and five off the last ball, Hope cut India seamer Umesh Yadav for a boundary through point to level the scores.

"Last ball I knew a wide yorker was coming at the end, and I had to get bat on the ball. I didn't get enough bat but it was enough," Hope told reporters at the post-match press conference.

This was Hope's second century in this form of the game, the unbeaten 123-run knock coming at a crucial juncture.

Hope joined forces with Shimron Hetmyer after West Indies lost three wickets and added 143 runs for the fourth wicket to keep his team in the hunt.

However, first game centurion Hetmyer (94) got out with the visitors still requiring 101 runs in 18 overs.

"There was a change in approach after that (Hetmyer's dismissal). We needed to take the innings deep," Hope said.

Speaking about batting with Hetmyer, he said, "It's pretty different with him, he likes to keep the scoreboard ticking. As long as we take it to the last five overs, we knew we stood a chance."

Asked about the knock, he said, "Definitely, such knocks improve your confidence. You have to gain after every innings. It was a matter of time before I got a big score."

"We just need to be more consistent as a team."

Thanks to the tie, India continue to lead the five-match series 1-0 after two matches.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)