It arrived dressed as a stranger, this refreshed pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, with the promise of a different story.
India, squinting into the unknown, chose to chase.
But the night peeled back the disguise soon enough, and beneath it lay that same old batting paradise.
Shai Hope’s sensational unbeaten century lit the fuse for West Indies’ 24-run win over India on Wednesday, dragging the series level at 2-2.
IND vs WI 3rd T20: Abhishek, Arshdeep to the fore as India wins a batathon to go 2-1 up Jewel Andrew, having taken the pitch’s measure, got to work for the Windies, raining down on Arshdeep Singh with two boundaries and a six that sailed high over mid-wicket.
Mayank Yadav’s pace and bounce backfired, costing him 11 extras.
West Indies captain Shai Hope plays a shot during the fourth T20 International match between India and West Indies | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL The visitor tore past 50 in just 15 balls.
After Andrew fell to Axar Patel, Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer ensured the respite was brief.
The Windies registered 79 in the PowerPlay, the joint-highest score in this phase (with New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year) against India in T20Is.
The team 100 came in just 42 balls with India reduced to a hapless spectator.
Dhir and the art of bouncing back Hope then found a cautious partner in Rovman Powell, who then burst free to help plunder Axar for 22 runs in an over.
Sherfane Rutherford then joined Hope to stitch together a 91-run stand off just 43 balls, Hope raising his arms to celebrate a ton for the second time in the T20I leg.
Sanju Samson loves Hyderabad and his affection shone bright as he clobbered his way to his joint-fastest T20I fifty off 20 balls, with a daunting 248-run chase before him.
Sanju Samson plays a shot during the fourth T20 International match between India and West Indies | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Hope turned to executioner of choice Keemo Paul, who came good not once but twice, first striking Samson off the ledger before sending Ishan Kishan back a few deliveries later.
Abhishek Sharma, who regularly renders his partners obsolete, found himself floundering for rhythm.
Bowlers — a fraternity that has been on a hiding As the Sunrisers Hyderabad star dealt with his demons, Shreyas Iyer decided to turn aggressor, injecting life back into the packed stands here at Uppal until an athletic effort from Andrew brought an abrupt end.
Motie’s twin strike Just when Abhishek began to find the fence, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie struck to remove him and Naman Dhir in consecutive balls.
The ask: 116 runs from 48 balls.
Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar’s 32-ball 72 stand lifted hopes high but Paul led the charge with a fifer to dampen any hopes of a win.
Arshdeep retiring hurt was merely the final twist of the knife, hastening a defeat that India tried, in vain, to avoid.
