Shai Hope has revealed that a piece of advice from MS Dhoni helped him pace one of the most demanding chases of his career. The West Indies captain finished unbeaten on 162 from 143 balls as his side beat India in the third ODI.
Hope said Dhoni had once told him that a batter nearly always has more time than he believes. The message, as Hope described it, was to concentrate on the process instead of worrying about the target.
A chase built in stages
Hope followed that plan closely. He reached fifty from 46 balls and then went to his 21st ODI hundred in 104 deliveries. Once he was set, he moved through the gears, hitting 62 runs from his last 39 balls to carry West Indies home.
Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy was among those who praised the innings. He said Hope leads from the front, and pointed to the fact that the captain opened the batting in unexpected circumstances. In Sammy’s telling, Hope simply put on his pads, walked out and won the game.
A win in a settled series
The result was a consolation victory for West Indies. India had already taken the three-match series by winning the first two games. Even so, Hope’s innings stood out as a lesson in staying calm under pressure, and he made clear that Dhoni’s thinking still guides the way he approaches an innings.
For West Indies, the knock offered a boost in leadership as well as runs, given that their captain set the tone from the top of the order and saw the chase through to the end.
