Shai Hope's explosive unbeaten 102 off 53 balls — replete with nine sixes and four fours — propelled West Indies to a commanding 247-3 in 20 overs, sealing a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad and pulling the five-match series level at 2-2.
Hope's masterclass came when West Indies desperately needed it. Entertaining a 2-1 deficit after dropping the first game in Lucknow and splitting the middle two, the visitors faced the very real risk of being swept aside. Instead, Hope — now the holder of the most T20 centuries for a West Indies batter with his third — anchored a chase that saw the hosts bowled out for just 223-8 in reply, their net run rate advantage evaporating under the weight of sixes.
Aggression as Antidote
Hope's approach was calculated, not reckless. Having watched India's top order struggle against the quality of the Caribbean pace attack in the closing stages of the third T20I, West Indies opted to attack from ball one. The opener's strike rotation was surgical in the powerplay, finding the gaps between mid-off and point with precision, while the sixes came in measured bursts rather than indiscriminate swings.
India's bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah in his customary death-over role, found themselves repeatedly peppered down the ground. A particular sequence in the 15th over — where Hope dispatched three consecutive deliveries for maximum — shifted the momentum entirely. The crowd that had been expectant grew restless as the scoreboard ticked into the 240s, a total that would have seemed fanciful given the par scores at this venue over the past week.
India's Top-Order Collapse Under Pressure
The response from India, chasing 248, was tepid. Their openers combined for just 17 runs in the powerplay, a stark contrast to the fluency displayed by Hope and his partner. The loss of two wickets inside the first six overs — a collapse that saw Rishabh Pant dismissed for a duck and Virat Kohli depart for 12 — left the hosts playing catch-up for the majority of their innings.
ESPNCricinfo reported that India's run chase never truly got going, with the required rate consistently above eight an over after the 15th over. The middle order, despite the heroics of Rishabh Jadeja's 44-ball 58, could not bridge the gap. The asking rate, inflated by Hope's onslaught, proved too much for a batting unit that has otherwise been reliable in the shorter formats.
Historical Weight of a Century
Hope's ton carries deeper significance than a simple match-winning knock. Since the start of the year, his average across T20Is has climbed to 47.33 from a previous low of 29.14 following a lean patch in the ODI series against England. The Hyderabad intervention represents the culmination of technical adjustments made in the nets — specifically, a slightly higher backlift to combat the pace threat that had been troubling him against quality bowling attacks.
West Indies' last T20I century before this one came from Nicholas Pooran in January 2025, making Hope's effort not just an individual triumph but a signal that the team's batting stability is returning. The nine sixes, in particular, are a testament to a mindset shift — whereas previous West Indies innings against quality bowling attacks often featured conservative strokeplay, Hope's approach here was bold, taking the game away from the opposition rather than waiting for them to make the first error.
Decider Looms in a Series Turned Upside Down
The implications of Wednesday's result extend far beyond the statistics. India, who began this tour with high expectations following a dominant ODI series, now face the very real possibility of losing their home T20I series — a first since their defeat to Australia in 2023. The psychological edge that India hoped to carry into the final T20I has instead transferred entirely to West Indies.
For West Indies, the momentum is theirs to sustain. The fifth and final T20I will be played in Visakhapatnam, a venue where the pitch has historically offered more assistance to seam bowlers than the low, slow surface in Hyderabad. If Hope can carry his form forward, and if the supporting cast — particularly Shimron Hetmyer, whose 28 in this match provided crucial impetus — continues in the same vein, West Indies have every chance of completing the comeback.
Looking Ahead: The Cost of Complacency
India's coaching staff will be left to rue the missed opportunities in the bowling department. Their death bowling, which had been a strength throughout the ODI series, found itself repeatedly breached by Hope's precision and timing. The fact that Bumrah — who finished with two wickets in four overs — was the most economical bowler underscores the collective nature of the challenge faced. Going into the decider, India must rediscover the control that allowed them to defend smaller totals against England and South Africa earlier this year.
The IPL Stats Hub offers insight into how Hope's performance stacks up against other international T20 performers this season — his strike rate of 192.45 against pace bowling this calendar year places him in the company of only a select few elite batters. If India are to salvage this series, they must find answers quickly, because a sweep that looked assured three matches ago now feels as distant as ever.
The fifth T20I is more than just a series decider; it is a referendum on India's ability to recover from adversity at home and a final examination of whether West Indies' revival under Hope's leadership is genuine or merely a flash in the pan. One thing is certain — Wednesday's result has transformed what was expected to be a coronation into a genuine contest.