West Indies’ Shai Hope plays a shot during the fourth T20I cricket match of a series between India and West Indies, in Hyderabad, Telangana. (PTI Photo)
With the T20I series locked at 2-2 ahead of Saturday’s decider in Bengaluru, Nayar said the Men in Blue need to find a way to dismiss Hope and suggested strategies they could employ to remove him early. India have lost all three matches in which they failed to dismiss Hope during the ongoing white-ball series, with the batter scoring unbeaten centuries in each of them.
You have to find a way to stop the West Indies from scoring runs in the powerplay, and that’s where the think tank comes together, plans, makes strategies, and puts all that together; then you can get the result you desire,” Nayar told JioStar. Former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar stated that India would need to get Shai Hope out, as the West Indies captain has been tormenting the bowling attack and winning matches almost single-handedly. Hope has been in stellar form in the ongoing white-ball series against India, having scored four centuries across three ODIs and four T20Is, often proving to be the difference between the two sides. “The West Indies have batted well, and in the previous match, they bowled well too. But you have to find a way to get Shai Hope out.
Hope has scored 539 runs in seven white-ball innings, including four centuries.
He is using his craft and finesse as well as power, and that is one thing that Shai Hope has done brilliantly,” Nayar said while praising Hope. “After a long time, such a player has come to India, scoring runs, captaining, wicket-keeping as well, and consistently scoring runs with the bat. When he scores runs, the team wins, and that is the hallmark of a terrific and great player who scores runs and makes sure the team wins.