West Indies Chase 250 to Beat India in Ranchi T20I

West Indies produced a record-breaking run chase in Ranchi on Friday, October 9, defeating India by six wickets in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Captain Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford struck 84 off 37 deliveries as the visitors reached India's target of 250 with nine balls remaining.

According to the match coverage published by The Times of India and India Today, West Indies overcame early setbacks to complete their highest successful chase in T20 International cricket. Their fourth-wicket partnership of 120 runs also established a new national record for that wicket in the format, surpassing the previous mark of 103 set by Dwayne Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer.

India had posted 249/5 after batting first at the JSCA Stadium International Complex. The match produced an aggregate of 501 runs, the highest total across both innings in a T20 International played in India, according to India Today's coverage. The overall T20I record remained 517 runs, scored during South Africa's chase against West Indies at Centurion in 2023.

West Indies initially struggled when Mayank Yadav dismissed two batters in the opening over and later removed Rovman Powell in the sixth over. The visitors slipped to 58/3, but Hope and Rutherford rebuilt the innings with aggressive stroke play and a decisive partnership.

Rutherford supplied the attacking momentum before falling for 84, while Hope continued unbeaten to guide the chase. Hope sealed his century by hitting Axar Patel for six, completing a match-winning innings at a strike rate of 226.66.

The visitors struck 20 sixes and 21 fours, collecting 204 runs through boundaries alone. Romario Shepherd provided the finishing support as West Indies completed the chase with nine deliveries remaining.

Hope received the Player of the Match award for his century. Reflecting on the early wickets during the post-match presentation, he acknowledged the difficulty of the chase but credited Rutherford's contribution to the turnaround. He also praised Roston Chase for making the team's task easier with his bowling performance.

Rutherford said West Indies remained confident that the target was achievable despite losing early wickets. He emphasized that positive intent did not require reckless batting and praised Hope's performance during their crucial partnership.

India's innings was built around Sanju Samson, who scored 82 after four consecutive low scores. His innings included a half-century off 21 balls, his ninth in T20Is, and helped establish India's highest T20I total against West Indies.

Samson shared a 97-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who contributed 43 off 22 balls, including six fours and two sixes. India reached 139/1 after 11 overs, scoring at more than 12 runs per over before West Indies regained some control through the middle overs.

Roston Chase claimed three wickets for 24 runs in his four overs, the best bowling figures of the match. However, India's attack struggled to contain the visitors during the chase, particularly as Hope and Rutherford accelerated through the middle stages.

Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma added quick runs late in India's innings to lift the total to 249/5. After the result, Iyer acknowledged the difficulty of identifying a safe target on a surface affected by dew and credited the West Indies batters for executing their chase effectively.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in Indore on Sunday, October 11, for the third match of the five-game series. The contest is set to begin at 7 p.m. Indian Standard Time, with the series level at one win apiece.