IND vs WI 2026: Shai Hope doesn't rely on blind-slogging, says Cheteshwar Pujara

West Indies captain Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls as the visitors posted 247 for 3 in the 4th T20I at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Hope's innings featured four boundaries and nine sixes, marking his second hundred of the series and fourth of the tour. The performance extended his record as the West Indies batter with the most T20I centuries, surpassing Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis with three centuries to his name. Notably, all three of Hope's T20I centuries have been scored at the identical mark of 102 not out.

Hope crossed 2,000 runs in T20 internationals during the match, becoming the fourth West Indies batter to reach that milestone. His batting approach drew particular attention from former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who analysed the West Indies captain's technique and impact on the series.

"Shai Hope has been a problem for India in this white-ball series against the West Indies and what stands out is that he does not rely on blind slogging. He backs his natural game and picks his gaps. That is why he scores so quickly without taking too many risks. The way he times the ball, plays normal cricketing shots, and knows his areas well is what makes him so effective. He's also a good player of spin because this pitch was a little challenging for the batters to dominate the spinners." Pujara said on JioHotstar's 'Cricket Live.'

"But he had a lot of clarity. When a batter has that kind of control, it becomes very difficult for the bowlers to build pressure. Once he's set, he's a hard player to stop. And if you look at his strike rate, it has been phenomenal throughout the series. His four hundreds are now the most by any batter on a tour of India and he has been the standout performer in this T20I series and the numbers prove it," he added.

Hope's batting approach and West Indies' supporting performances

Hope's innings was supported by valuable contributions from Shimron Hetmyer, who scored 33 off 12 balls with four boundaries and two sixes, and Sherfane Rutherford, who remained unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls with six fours and three sixes. West Indies' bowling attack proved decisive in restricting India's chase. Keemo Paul took 5 for 41, removing Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in successive deliveries before returning to take a three-wicket over in the 19th over.

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India's batting lineup included Samson's 56 off 22 balls with six fours and four sixes, Tilak Varma's 43 off 25 balls with two fours and three sixes, and Nitish Kumar Reddy's 41 off 20 balls with one four and four sixes. Arshdeep Singh retired hurt in the final over. India fell 25 runs short of the target.

Keemo Paul's decisive bowling and India's chase

Pujara credited Paul's performance as the decisive factor in West Indies' victory. The bowler struck with his opening delivery, removing Samson at deep backward square-leg before dismissing Kishan in the same over. Paul then sealed the match with a three-wicket spell in the 19th over, helping West Indies avoid a series defeat when both remaining games were must-wins.

"This win was all about Keemo Paul. He struck gold with his very first delivery of the game, getting the big wicket of Sanju Samson, who got caught at deep backward square-leg. Paul then got rid of Ishan Kishan in the same over and then came back to seal it in the 19th over with a three-wicket over. With their backs against the wall and both the last two games being must-wins, West Indies have not only avoided a series defeat for now but also sent the hosts a strong message that they are here to win," Pujara said.

India's bowling execution and the road ahead

India's bowling performance fell short against West Indies' aggressive batting in both powerplay and middle overs. Pujara highlighted the lack of execution and variation as key factors in the hosts' defeat.

"The way the West Indian batters went after us in the powerplay, and even after the powerplay, the Indian bowlers didn’t hit the right lengths. They didn’t show a lot of variations in their bowling. But sometimes you also need to appreciate the kind of batting the West Indies players produced, the kind of shots they played, especially Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford. All three of them were key players in their side’s victory. They were exceptional," Pujara said.

Pujara emphasised that the margin for error against such quality batting was minimal. He pointed to specific instances where Indian bowlers struggled with line and length, particularly when Naman Dhir came on to bowl. The former India batter stressed that improved bowling execution would be essential for the hosts in the upcoming match at Bengaluru.

"They put a lot of pressure on the Indian bowlers, and the margin for error for a bowler was very small. They picked the length very early against Naman Dhir when he came on to bowl. There was pressure on him, and whenever a bowler missed his length, the West Indian batters were ready to punish him. The Indian bowlers will have to bowl better lengths and bring in more variations in Bengaluru, because against batters this good, one loose ball is enough to cost you the game," Pujara said.