Chennai, Dec 15 (UNI) Battling a bouts of cramp, Southpaw Shermon
Hetmyer has stances similar that of Keith Artherton and his style of play
as he along with opener Shai Hope countered the Indian spinners and
speedsters with panache and scant respect in guiding their team to an
easy win.
In his 42nd innings, man-of-the-match Hetmyer hammered a 106-ball
139 (11x4, 7x6), his fifth hundred and second against India, to power
West Indies to overhaul India's big target to help his team take a 1-0
lead in the three-match ODI series at the Chepauk Stadium here tonight.
Earlier, half centuries by young guns under-fire Rishab Pant-71 in 69
balls with seven fours and a six, an important knock, and Shreyas Iyer
(70, 88 balls, 5x4, 1x6), with good knocks by Rohit Sharma (36) and
Kedar Jadhav (40), powered India to 288 for eight, a total which never
looked in sight after the famed top order collapsed, after being invited
to bat.

Chasing India's 288 for eight, the visitors, powered by Hetmyer's
century and an equal contribution by Shai Hope, who milked the
bowling with ones and twos and later exploded while reaching the
coveted three figure mark, made the Indian attack look pedestrian
as Windies finished at 291 for two with a pair of boundaries by
Nicholas Pooran (29, 23 balls, 4x4) with 13 balls to spare.
After the early loss of Sunil Ambiris (nine, 8 balls, 2x4), Hetmyer
and Hope (102 not out, 151 balls, 7x4, 1x6), who curbed his attacking
instincts and played second fiddle to his combative partner, added
228 in 34.3 overs, to power the team cross the final hurdle with
consummate ease, with the dew factor not coming into the picture
on a day of clear skies after two days of rain.
Hope and Pooran provided the finishing touches with 62-run stand
in 9.1 overs as the visitors notched up their fifth win in the venue in
13 meetings. (India 7 wins, one no result).
Right through the chase, Windies were always ahead in the run rate
as the Indian bowlers proved ineffective to contain the Hermetyer and
Chase.
In the chase Hetmyer survived a dropped chance by Iyer after scoring
his hundred, which ultimately proved the decisive turn in the end.
Runs flowed like as a cascade as Hermetyer feasted on both the
seamers and the spinners, without any trouble, smoting them all
over the ground.
If the spinners gave the air, he was quick enough to pounce to
despatch into the stands, with one of the sixers touching 110 m
mark (ball went out of ground), and was agile in despatching
anything that was short on the off-side to the backward point
region.
None of the bowlers made an impact as the partnership flourished
as the wicket turned relatively easy, when compared to the Indian
innings as it appeared slow and stroke-making made very difficult,
though Indian Skipper Virat Kohli kept shuffling the bowlers seeking
a breakthrough.
When Hermtyer finally holed out to midwicket fence, it was too late
as he assured that the match was very much on control, as the visitors
headed to Vizag for the second match with heads high and a buoyant
mood.
Meanwhile, Hope mixed caution with aggression, as he slowed built
his innings brick-by-brick and never panicked, despite wrist spinner
Kuleep troubled the batsmen with odd balls, that turned viciously
as the chase boiled down to run a ball, when Chase exploded to
complete his second hundred with a six and four.
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