India overhauled a massive West Indies total to win the second One-day International at Queen’s Park Oval by two wickets with a smashing unbeaten 64 from Axar Patel at the back end helping the visitors to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.
Chasing a mammoth 312 for victory in a 50-over game is always an uphill task and India were in a sport of bother when they required 100 from the last 10 overs with Axar Patel and Deepak Hooda at the crease and just five wickets remaining.
Axar rises to occasion
But the two combined patience with pluck and found the boundaries when needed to chase down the target with just two balls remaining. With Hooda departing at 33, it was left to Patel to complete the task as the all-rounder hit five sixes in his 35-ball 64 to complete the job.
Earlier Shai Hope’s century and Kyle Mayers’ quick-fire 39 had given the hosts a confident start after they won the toss and opted to bat first. Mayers was the more aggressive of the two openers as the left-hander found gaps in the field to fetch boundaries at ease.
In nine overs, West Indies had already crossed 65 with Mayers on 39 when Hooda came into the attack. He sent back Mayers first ball with an off break that the left-hander could only chip back to the bowler.
Hope smashed a hundred in his 100th ODI to join a select list of players. The hundred, his 13th in the format, came with a massive six off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 45th over of the innings and the West Indian opener celebrated it with another big hit for six off the next ball.
