West Indies captain Shai Hope smashed a magnificent unbeaten century, while Keemo Paul claimed a match-winning five-wicket haul to guide the visitors to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The win levelled the five-match series at 2-2.

Hope hammered an unbeaten 102 off just 50 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford provided explosive support with 49 not out off 26 deliveries. Their efforts helped West Indies post a formidable 247/3 after India asked them to bat first.

India fought back during the chase but lost all their wickets for 223 runs. Paul led the West Indies bowling attack with impressive figures of 5/41, preventing the hosts from completing the chase despite their aggressive start.

The victory kept West Indies in contention for the series ahead of the decisive fifth T20I in Bengaluru. It also marked a significant achievement for the visitors, who had not beaten India in a T20I on Indian soil since 2019 before this tour.

Hope continued his outstanding form by recording his second century of the series and his third in T20 Internationals. Rutherford complemented his innings as the pair added an unbeaten 91 runs for the fourth wicket, registering West Indies’ second-highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20Is. The duo had established the record with a 120-run stand in the previous match in Ranchi.

West Indies launched an aggressive assault from the start, racing to 79/1 during the powerplay, their highest powerplay score against India in the format. Jewel Andrew contributed a brisk 21 off 16 balls, while Hope maintained the scoring momentum as the visitors reached 118/2 at the halfway stage.

Shimron Hetmyer further accelerated the innings with a blistering 33 off just 12 deliveries at a strike rate of 275. West Indies reached 100 in only 7.4 overs, equalling their fastest team century against India in T20Is, a feat they had previously achieved in Lauderhill in 2016.

Hope brought up his half-century in 28 balls before increasing the tempo during the closing overs. He smashed sixes off the final two deliveries to finish unbeaten on 102 and take West Indies to 247/3. The total ranked as their second-highest T20I score against India, behind the 252/4 they recorded in Ranchi earlier in the series.

India responded aggressively, with Sanju Samson racing to a half-century in just 20 balls. However, Paul immediately shifted the momentum in West Indies’ favour when he dismissed Samson at deep backward square-leg with his first delivery. He then removed Ishan Kishan in the same over, delivering a crucial double blow.

Those quick wickets disrupted India’s momentum and increased the pressure on the hosts. Paul returned in the 19th over and claimed three more wickets to complete his five-wicket haul, leaving India with an uphill task in the final stages.

Gudakesh Motie also played a decisive role during the middle overs. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma and Naman Dhir on successive deliveries, further damaging India’s chase. Roston Chase had earlier restricted Abhishek’s scoring opportunities, while Shamar Springer bowled a crucial 18th over that conceded just five runs and tightened the pressure on the Indian batters.

India struggled to maintain the required scoring rate as West Indies continued to take wickets at regular intervals. The visitors combined disciplined bowling with Paul’s decisive spell to ensure that Hope’s imposing total proved too much for the hosts.

India’s innings ended on a disappointing note when Arshdeep Singh retired hurt after clutching his left shoulder, leaving Mayank Yadav without a batting partner as the hosts’ chase came to an end.

West Indies responded strongly after their defeat in Indore and set up an exciting series decider in Bengaluru. Hope’s outstanding century and Paul’s five-wicket haul proved decisive in Hyderabad, giving the visitors renewed confidence heading into the final match.

Brief scores:

West Indies 247/3 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 102 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 49 not out; Prince Yadav 1/36)
India 223/9 in 19.3 overs (Sanju Samson 56, Tilak Varma 43; Kemo Paul 5/40, Gudakesh Motie 2/13)