Hope and Rutherford chase down 250 as West Indies level the series in Ranchi

West Indies overhauled India's 249 for 5 with nine balls to spare in Ranchi, the second-highest successful run chase in men's T20I cricket

Shai Hope finished unbeaten on 102 from 45 balls and Sherfane Rutherford made 84 from 37 as West Indies reached 252 for 4 in 18.3 overs at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on Friday night.

The six-wicket win levels the five-match series at 1-1, India having taken the opening game in Lucknow.

India posted their highest total of the series so far and still lost with an over and a half unused, undone by a stand of 120 between Hope and Rutherford that removed any doubt about the result.

Samson sets India up

Put in after West Indies won the toss and chose to field, India were given a fast start by Abhishek Sharma, who made 20 from 12 balls before Roston Chase had him caught in the fourth over.

Sanju Samson took the innings on from there. His 82 from 41 balls contained nine fours and four sixes, and he was still in when the 15th over began, before Shamar Springer had him caught.

Ishan Kishan made 43 from 22 and Shreyas Iyer 40 from 18, the India captain striking three fours and three sixes before Springer found him too. Shivam Dube went for 7.

Tilak Varma closed the innings unbeaten on 44 from 18 balls. Chase was the pick of the bowlers with 3-24 from his four overs, while Springer's two wickets cost 64.

Mayank Yadav strikes twice in the first over

Mayank Yadav appeared to have settled the match inside six balls, removing Pooran and then bowling Shimron Hetmyer first ball to leave West Indies 9 for 2 after one over.

When he came back to bowl Rovman Powell for 24 from 13 in the fifth over, the chase was 58 for 3 and a target of 250 looked a long way off.

Mayank finished with 3-36. No other India bowler managed more than one wicket, Kuldeep Yadav's 1-53 the only other success in the innings.

Hope and Rutherford take the game away

Hope and Rutherford added 120 together, and scored them fast enough that the required rate never climbed beyond what the two of them were already managing.

Rutherford reached his fifty from 24 balls with three fours and five sixes, and had made 84 from 37 when he fell. Hope matched him stride for stride, bringing up his own fifty from 24 deliveries.

The 17th over cost India 24 and left West Indies needing 27 from three overs. Romario Shepherd, in with 34 not out from 13 balls, made sure the full three were not required.

Hope reached his hundred from 45 balls and ended the match with a six off Axar Patel.

A night of records in Ranchi

The chase is the second-highest successful one in men's T20I cricket, behind only South Africa's 259 for 4 against West Indies at Centurion in 2023, and it is the highest West Indies have completed.

The 501 runs scored in the match are the second-highest aggregate in a men's T20I, 16 short of the 517 South Africa and West Indies made at Centurion in 2009. There were 79 boundaries in all, 46 fours and 33 sixes.

Hope's century, from 45 balls, is the joint-fastest scored against India in the format, level with Jacob Bethell. Johnson Charles holds the West Indies mark against India, from 39 balls in 2023.

It was Hope's second T20I hundred, a West Indies record he now shares with Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis.

A streak ends for Iyer

The defeat ends a run of 10 consecutive wins for Shreyas Iyer as India's T20I captain, a sequence that began in July.

It also leaves India to answer a question the first match did not ask of them, having conceded 250 at home with a frontline attack on the field.

Scorecard: India 249 for 5 (Samson 82, Tilak Varma 44*, Kishan 43, Chase 3-24) lost to West Indies 252 for 4 (Hope 102*, Rutherford 84, Mayank Yadav 3-36) by six wickets.

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