West Indies skipper Shai Hope expressed his satisfaction in matching Sir Vivian Richards’ record after his brilliant century against England in the first ODI of the series in Antigua.
The 30-year-old led the West Indies to a four-wicket victory and joined the ranks as one of the fastest West Indies players to reach 5000 ODI runs, tying with Richards and India's Virat Kohli (114 innings) for the third-fastest overall. He stands behind only Pakistan's Babar Azam (97) and former South Africa's Hashim Amla (101) in reaching this milestone.
Reflecting on his achievement post-match, Hope expressed his delight in equalling Richards’ record, emphasising his pleasure in contributing to the team's triumph. His unbeaten 109 off just 83 deliveries featured 7 sixes and 4 boundaries.
“It feels great (to equal Viv Richards). As I said, it's happy that I contributed to a win. I am so happy that we got over the line. And then the stats, as I said, is a byproduct. Pleasing, nevertheless,” said Hope.
Meanwhile, Hope also credited former India captain MS Dhoni for guiding him over how to construct ODI innings.
“A very, very famous person, MS Dhoni, we had a chat a while ago, and he was saying, ‘You always have a lot more time than you think,'” Hope said during the post-match presentation ceremony. “That’s one thing that has stuck with me throughout the years I’ve been playing ODI cricket.”
Dhoni was famously known for following the philosophy of ‘taking it deep’ in run-chases. He remained unbeaten 50 times while chasing in his ODI career. India won 47 of those matches.
In the first ODI against England, the West Indies were struggling at 220 for 5 by the 40th over in their pursuit of 326 runs. It seemed like England, guided by Jos Buttler, were gradually gaining the upper hand at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. With the rapid losses of Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, the West Indies faced a daunting challenge, needing 106 runs in the final 10 overs.
Yet, skipper Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd, newly recruited by Mumbai Indians, turned the tables in the closing overs. Their explosive performance helped the West Indies successfully reach the target with 7 deliveries to spare.
This remarkable chase of 106 runs ranks as the second-highest tally chased in the last 10 overs of an ODI, following Pakistan's 109 against Bangladesh in Mirpur back in 2014. Setting a new record after nine years, the West Indies' sensational victory brought immense joy to the spectators at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.