'India need to get Shai Hope out': Nayar suggests change in tactics against Windies skipper

Former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar stated that India would need to get Shai Hope out, as the West Indies captain has been tormenting the bowling attack and winning matches almost single-handedly.

Hope has been in stellar form in the ongoing white-ball series against India, having scored four centuries across three ODIs and four T20Is, often proving to be the difference between the two sides.

India have lost all three matches in which they failed to dismiss Hope during the ongoing white-ball series, with the batter scoring unbeaten centuries in each of them. With the T20I series locked at 2-2 ahead of Saturday’s decider in Bengaluru, Nayar said the Men in Blue need to find a way to dismiss Hope and suggested strategies they could employ to remove him early.

“The West Indies have batted well, and in the previous match, they bowled well too. But you have to find a way to get Shai Hope out. You have to find a way to stop the West Indies from scoring runs in the powerplay, and that’s where the think tank comes together, plans, makes strategies, and puts all that together; then you can get the result you desire,” Nayar told JioStar.

Hope has scored 539 runs in seven white-ball innings, including four centuries. His 261 runs in four T20Is are already the most by any visiting batter in a bilateral series in India, reflecting his dominance throughout the tour.

“After a long time, such a player has come to India, scoring runs, captaining, wicket-keeping as well, and consistently scoring runs with the bat. When he scores runs, the team wins, and that is the hallmark of a terrific and great player who scores runs and makes sure the team wins. He is using his craft and finesse as well as power, and that is one thing that Shai Hope has done brilliantly,” Nayar said while praising Hope.

Nayar also suggested that India should vary their lines and lengths against Hope, who has found deliveries aimed at the stumps easy to score off.

“When you are bowling at the stumps, it’s been very easy for him to score runs, which means sometimes inconsistency is the best consistency to have against Shai Hope.

“That is something India will have to think about and come up with a plan as to how they are going to make sure that he starts playing more behind square and how they start using the short ball more against him,” he added.