The West Indies bounced back with a commanding victory against the USA at Kensington Oval, Barbados, on Saturday, June 22. Shai Hope, one of the standout performers, shared his delight following the team’s impressive turnaround after their defeat to England in their first Super Eight fixture.
Hope, returning to the side in place of the injured Brandon King, made an immediate impact. He scored an unbeaten 82 off just 39 balls, which included four fours and eight sixes, leading the two-time champions to a nine-wicket win with 55 balls to spare. After effortlessly chasing a 129-run target, the wicketkeeper-batter expressed his satisfaction with the team’s response after their previous loss.
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“I would say very clinical, especially coming off the loss that we had a couple of days ago. It’s great to see the guys understood the assignment today, and we played the cricket that we wanted to play. It’s important for us to continue in this vein because we see what’s at stake now. But yeah, very happy with the bounce back that we did today and there’s a lot more cricket to play, and we’re looking forward to it,” Shai Hope stated during the post-match press conference, as quoted by India Today.
Looking ahead, the West Indies are preparing for another crucial Super Eights clash against South Africa on Monday, June 24, in Antigua. The Proteas, having won six consecutive matches, appear formidable. Nonetheless, Hope emphasized that the Caribbean team is eager for the challenge.
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“Not entirely the main aim today, coming out in the meetings as well, was just to get the win and ensure we play our cricket and the important thing is to focus on our skills, not necessarily get too far ahead of ourselves. We understood the importance of winning the game first and foremost, because if we didn’t win the game, then we know what’s going to happen — so winning the game and as long as we tick our boxes, then I think the rest will take care of itself and I guess that’s what happened today,” Shai Hope explained.
The West Indies’ victory over the USA has reignited their campaign, and they are keen to maintain this momentum as they advance in the tournament.