Hetmyer, Hope Pummel Indian Attack As WI Draws First Blood

The two hammer centuries and share a 218-run partnership as the visitors make light of a tall chase; Shreyas and Pant’s knocks go in vain for the Men in Blue

- S. Dipak Ragav

The pleasant weather of the last few days gave way to the familiar hot and humid conditions, but that did not stop Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope from scoring contrasting hundreds to help West Indies script an eight-wicket win against India in the first ODI at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 288, Hetmyer and Hope put on a massive 218-run partnership off just 208 balls for the second wicket.

While Hetmyer, who battled cramps during his innings, was the aggressor, slamming 139 off just 106 balls (11x4, 7x6), Hope played the perfect foil, striking at just over 50 for the most part of his innings and remaining unbeaten on 102 (151b, 7x4, 1x6).

Hetmyer started off shakily, edging Mohammed Shami twice to the boundary. However, he looked serene as he hit the Indian bowlers all over the park with disdain.

At the end of the PowerPlay, West Indies had only 37 on board, but off the next five overs, no less than 42 runs came thick and fast.

Cutting loose

In the 14th over, Hetmyer showed that he was in complete control, cutting Kedar Jadhav for two fours before pulling Kuldeep Yadav for a six over midwicket and quickly reaching his fifty.

Hetmyer then turned his attention to Ravindra Jadeja, smashing the left-arm spinner for two sixes over long-on and mid-wicket in the 22nd over. He cut Jadeja again in the next over before depositing Shami over Long on to move into the 90s as the Caribbeans needed just 139 in the last 24 overs at an asking rate of less than six.