Former India spinner Anil Kumble lavished praise on West Indies batter Shai Hope after he smashed a maiden Test ton during the second Test against the Shubman Gill-led side at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Kumble believes that the batter has taken to his number four role seriously, and his team could utilise him in the same role in their upcoming matches.
The West Indies were on the verge of completing a series whitewash in a humiliating way with their scoreline reading 63/1 while chasing 121, Hope shifted the momentum of the game after converting his start into a big century and his 177-run stand for the third wicket with John Campbell.
After being bundled out for 248 in response to India's 518/5 declared, the Windies responded bravely, first with a top-order resistance and then a 79-run 10th wicket stand, taking a 120-run lead in the match.
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Kumble recalled Hope's inning when he was India's coach
Speaking on 'Cricket Live', JioStar expert, Kumble, said that the batter's potential was always known. He recalled his experience when he travelled to the West Indies for a series as India's coach.
"West Indies went past the follow-on mark and ensured that India had to bat again. I thought Shai Hope was exceptional. We all know his potential. He has done it consistently in white-ball cricket. He had a great start to his Test career as well. I remember when I was a coach and we toured the West Indies, he played a practice game before the series started, batted brilliantly, got a hundred, and looked the part. Since then, his performances dipped a bit, but to get his first fifty after 31 innings and now a hundred today, he really looked solid. I am sure he's now taken that No. 4 role very seriously, and that is something the West Indies will want to build on moving forward," said Kumble on Jio Hotstar.
India vs West Indies Day 4 report
Team India needs 58 runs to win the second Test match against West Indies as they ended day four of the second Test at 63 for one, inching closer to a series whitewash. While chasing 121, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (8) early, but KL Rahul (25 batting) and Sai Sudharsan (30 batting) steadied the innings to keep the momentum in India's favour.