IND vs WI: Daren Sammy Salutes Shai Hope After Heroic 162

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy showered rich praise on Shai Hope, who scored a masterful 162 in the third ODI in Mullanpur to secure the solitary win in the three-match series.

India, batting first, posted 351 despite losing early wickets, courtesy of KL Rahul’s career-best 129. In response, West Indies were dealt an early blow as Jewel Andrew was deemed unfit to bat, leaving them with just four specialist batters. Hope came out to open the innings after keeping wicket for 50 overs, before batting for 48.2 overs to take his team home. It was a Herculean effort from the West Indies skipper. Sammy was not surprised by what Hope did but underlined how special the innings was, given the number of overs he had spent on the field.

“He was in the field for what, 98.2 overs,” Sammy said in the post-match press conference. “He literally took the team on his back today with the bat, like he’s done so many times before. The skipper stepping up is not anything new to him, but to keep 50 overs and then put on your pads and go and play an innings like that was special.”

A quiet and calm character, Hope is also regarded as someone with great leadership skills, as noted by the head coach.

“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,” remarked Sammy. “As I said, he leads by his performance. He believes in that. Like today, somebody had to go up and open, and when I said to him [to open], he didn’t say a word. He just put on his pads, went out, and won us the game. I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he’s done for West Indies, how he’s played, and the commitment he’s given us. Class player, great individual.”

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