West Indies skipper Shai Hope was at his chasing best against England while playing at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday (December 3) as he struck his 16th ODI century and remained unbeaten to power his side to a four-wicket win in the first ODI of the three-match series.
Hope scored 109* runs off 83 balls, smashed four fours and seven maximums during his knock, and had the English bowlers ducking for cover. The 30-year-old got his side over the line on the penultimate delivery of the 49th over with a maximum off Sam Curran that sailed over the deep midwicket fence.
Interestingly, during the post-match presentation, the West Indian captain revealed a game-changing chat that he had with former India skipper MS Dhoni some time ago on the mindset with which a player should approach a run chase.
"I had a chat with MS Dhoni some time back and he told me that you always have a lot more time at the crease than you think and that stuck with me," told Hope.
Notably, Dhoni is considered one of the best finishers that the sport has witnessed thus far. The modern-day India great boasts jaw-dropping numbers in successful ODI run chases. He averaged an eye-catching 102.71 during 75 innings that he played for India in successful run chases. Dhoni played in 116 ODIs that India won in pursuit of a total.
On Sunday, Hope scored his 6th ODI ton for the Men in Maroon in the successful pursuit of a target. He has contributed with 1436 runs in 25 games that the West Indies have won while chasing at a phenomenal average of 102.57.
The 30-year-old batter has remained unbeaten 11 times in those 25 matches and scored six half-centuries, including 108 fours and 29 sixes.
