IND vs WI

11:16 PM local time and IST: The series is level now with 3 matches to play. It has been a batting masterclass, all be it that the pitches have been flat and dew has had a say, but the quality in T20 batting has gone through the roof in this series! What will the third game have in store for us? Join us on Sunday from 7:00 PM local time and IST as the first ball gets delivered at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Let's see, which team takes the lead after that. For now, this is Bidipto, taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Shai Hope (West Indies captain and Player of the Match, 102* off 45 deliveries): "When it was 5/2, I thought that it was going to be a difficult run chase. But when we got the partnership going, that is, Rovman (Powell) and I, we got some momentum into the innings, and then, Sherfane (Rutherford) came out and took our breath away! Sometimes, you've just got to sit back and watch. He played some stunning shots and made my job easy. (On Roston Chase's bowling) He kept us in the game, in very difficult conditions. (On his ball-striking on a bigger ground) The SS bats I have are pretty good! But yes, I looked at the best options I had to score and backed myself. (On whether this is his best phase in international cricket) It's tough to say, but I just think that the way I prepare is always up for it. I keep myself as neutral as I can so that I can keep going." 

Shreyas Iyer (India captain): "Honestly speaking, you really cannot put a number to it, especially with dew coming into play. Even 249 got chased down! The margin of error on this wicket was low. There were a few missed opportunities, that came happen. But the batting from them was first-class! Sanju (Samson) did exceptionally, that's what we expect of both Abhishek (Sharma) and him up top, and then Mayank (Yadav)....he bowled with a lot of pace and got us those wickets. He did his bit. We have to come back stronger now, and put this behind us." 

Sherfane Rutherford (84 runs off 37 balls): "The mindset was clear. It was a good wicket, but it was important for me to just continue to play positive cricket. With good intent, I also got to capitalize on the bad balls. I've been working hard, I promised myself to be the best player in T20, and I'm glad that the performances are showing on the field. In the last 5 overs, they got away from us, but as a batting unit, we took it on our shoulders to get the job done on a good wicket. When I went out to bat, I told Shai (Hope) that I'll go after it, because I'm naturally attacking. Shai is a phenomenal player! I try to look at him even in the nets to get as much from him, he doesn't get enough credit for what he does." 

10:44 PM local time and IST: West Indies win by 6 wickets with 9 balls to spare!

Shai Hope 102* (45) | Roston Chase - 3/24 (4)
Sanju Samson 82 (41) | Mayank Yadav - 3/36 (3)

The score put on the board by India was 249. West Indies were 5/2 in the first over itself, and then, 58/3 in the final over of power play. But from there, they turned the tables around and how! West Indies ended up pulling off their highest successful run chase in T20Is with some unbelievable ball-striking! And, it also goes down as second-highest run chase in T20I history! 

Mayank Yadav was hostile up front, taking two wickets in his first over, which was the first of the match as well, and then, came back to remove Rovman Powell after a good partnership between captain Shai Hope and him.

Post that, it was all West Indies! Yes it was a good pitch to bat on. There was a lot of dew out there. But even then, the kind of batting that was on show, cut the Indian bowling down to size.

A high-quality partnership of 120 runs off only 74 balls between Sherfane Rutherford and Hope, took everyone's breath away! Runs came left, right and center, with bad balls getting put away almost every single time.

An opportunity did come India's way in the last ball of the 10th over, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav, when Rutherford swept one straight to Mayank at short fine-leg, but the tall fast bowler spilled it! That proved costly for the hosts!

After that, even though Kuldeep dismissed Rutherford when he was on 84, Hope stitched together another smashing stand of 74 unbeaten runs with Romario Shepherd, to take his side home and chase this mammoth total down! 

Hope went on to score a century par excellence, and showed just how good he is with his batting, no matter what the format! 

18.3 Axar Patel to Shai Hope, WHAT A SHOT! WHAT A HUNDRED! WHAT A RUN-CHASE! DEW OR NO DEW, THIS IS A SUPERLATIVE BATTING PERFORMANCE FROM THE WEST INDIES! Full, wide and slow outside off. Hope leans forward, uses the width on offer and smokes it away, well over wide long-off, for the maximum, and of course, the winning runs! The celebrations can begin, and why not? Take a bow, Shai Hope! 

18.1 Axar Patel to Shai Hope, round the wicket, AND IT SAILS INTO THE CROWD! Slow and around off-stump on the good length. Hope reached out, went down on one knee and clubbed it over long-on! 

Axar Patel [3.0-0-51-0] comes back into the attack.

17.6 Arshdeep Singh to Romario Shepherd, FOUR MORE! Slow, wide and into the pitch outside off. Shepherd went after it through the line, on the up and got enough bat on it to get it over short third for a boundary.

17.5 Arshdeep Singh to Romario Shepherd, FOUR RUNS! Short and on leg-stump. Shepherd gets inside the line of it and pulls it away over the in-field, and down to fine-leg, for a boundary!