Shai Hope says one line from MS Dhoni guided his unbeaten 162 against India: you always have more time than you think. He followed it to take West Indies to 352/5 in Mullanpur, their highest successful ODI chase.
India posted 351/7 in the third ODI of the series on October 3, built around KL Rahul’s 129 not out. Hope kept wicket for all 50 overs, then opened because Jewel Andrew had hurt a finger in the field. He finished on 162 off 143 balls and won it with 10 balls to spare.
“I had a great chat with the great man MS Dhoni, he was telling me you always have more time than you think.”
Shai Hope, post-match presentation, October 3, 2026
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE GREAT MS DHONI! 💙🇮🇳
Shai Hope reveals the advice MS Dhoni gave him! 🗣️
#MSDhoni #INDvWI #ODIs #Sportskeeda https://t.co/WvIW0STxuI
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) October 4, 2026
The advice sounds simple. What made it work is something Hope picked up behind the stumps before he faced a single ball.
Hope did not treat the line as a feeling. He turned it into a plan.
“We tried to break the chase down. I knew India would have to bring fielders in for the over rate penalty. So stayed patient.”
Shai Hope, post-match presentation, October 3, 2026
India captain Shubman Gill later admitted his side were four overs behind. The penalty pulled India’s fielders inside the circle at the death, at exactly the stage Hope had saved his attack for.
Hope reached 50 off 46 balls and 100 off 104. Then he scored 62 off his last 39 balls, including 40 off his last 16, while fighting cramps and a groin problem.
The advice has stayed with him for years. Hope first credited the same Dhoni line after his unbeaten 109 chased down England’s 326 in Antigua in December 2023.
Insider Read
A keeper who opens a chase starts with information no other batter has. For 50 overs Hope watched every ball from the one spot that shows how a pitch truly plays: how it changed once the dew came, which bowlers lost their lengths late, and which lines the field was set for. By the time he walked out, India’s attack had few secrets left.
That is why Dhoni’s line works for him. At the crease, time really means certainty. When you already know which bowler will give you something to hit, you never have to go looking for it. Add the over-rate count Hope kept while batting, and he knew the last overs would be easier than the ones before. For him, waiting was not a risk. It was the plan.
The Records Hope Broke in Mullanpur
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| West Indies’ highest successful ODI chase | 352/5, beating 331/5 vs Ireland (2019) |
| Highest WI score in a winning ODI chase | 162*, passing Chris Gayle’s 162 |
| Highest score in an ODI chase vs India | 162*, passing Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 160 |
| Most ODI hundreds as wicketkeeper-captain | 8 |
| 21st ODI hundred | 152nd innings, joint-3rd fastest with Quinton de Kock and David Warner |
The win came too late to change the result. India took the series against West Indies 2-1 after winning the first two matches by 8 wickets each.
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