India overcame West Indies’ 311 in the second ODI in Port of Spain thanks in large part to Axar Patel, who scored the second-fastest ODI fifty for India against the West Indies. Despite controlling most of their defense, West Indies lost the game and with it the series despite Shai Hope’s century in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran’s aggressive 74.
Sanju Samson (54) and Shreyas Iyer (63) both scored half-centuries, but in the last ten overs, Axar’s unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls reversed the tide.
Axar and Hooda were at the crease when India required 100 runs to win from 60 balls and had five wickets in hand. Axar and Shardul Thakur were left to do the job as Hooda dropped for 33 with 56 to get off 36. Axar had already smacked three sixes by that point. There would soon be more.
When 48 needed to be made off the final five overs, the tipping point was reached. Despite dismissing Thakur, Alzarri Joseph let up 16 runs in the 46th over, including two above-waist full-toss no-balls, and the West Indies failed to get No. 10 Avesh Khan out on the final ball. When Axar came over, Romario Shepherd hit two fours, and Avesh added another. The equation was suddenly 19 off of 18.
Even though he had previously given up 54 runs in six overs in his ODI debut, Avesh wouldn’t go without scoring his fair share of runs. He scored ten runs in 12 balls and asked Mohammed Siraj and Axar to help him erase the final eight runs.
Axar Patel played an important role in India’s 312-runs chase
With two balls remaining, Axar, who was in excellent form, received a full toss from Kyle Mayers and sent it over the bowler’s head to seal the victory. Shubman Gill got off to a strong start, and Iyer and Samson put up a 99-run partnership to set up the chase.
Shikhar Dhawan’s difficulties were made up for by Gill’s composed 43 off 49 balls. However, India was at 79 for 3 in the 18th over when he and Suryakumar Yadav both fell inside the span of 11 balls.
Hope and Pooran’s fourth-wicket stand of 117 runs, 74 of which came off Pooran’s bat, was the reason India had 312 to chase. In 11 ODI innings, Hope scored 115, his third triple-figure total.
Read: Shai Hope: West Indies opener scores century on 100th ODI, enters elite company
