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West Indies lost another batter at the high point of the run chase in the ongoing India vs West Indies 3rd ODI match. At the moment when the West Indies skipper Shai Hope was preparing to get his hundred, the Indian cricket team dented their pre-celebration phase by removing Sherfane Rutherford from the crease.
It was West Indies' third wicket, while chasing a 352-run target in the second innings. Sherfane Rutherford caught behind the stumps a few overs after the run-out of Amir Jangoo, who scored a half-century. On the final delivery of the 30th over, Naman Dhir pitched on the shorter side of the pitch, which skids in to the batter.
Sherfane Rutherford caught behind the stumps in IND vs WI 3rd ODI
Sherfane Rutherford remained on his back foot, cramping for some room to free his arms. The ball got a feather touch off the bat and carried all the way through to the keeper's gloves. KL Rahul, behind the stumps no mistake grabbing the ball. The batter, however not convinced with the umpire's call and went straight up for a review.
There was clear noise, which might have forced the batter to think about contact between his bat and back pad. The UltraEdge showed spikes when the ball was passing the bat. It was a clear edge; Sherfane Rutherford had to go after scoring 24 from 25 balls with a couple of 4s.
Shai Hope completes his century after Sherfane Rutherford's dismissal
Despite the important dismissal, the West Indies are still pretty much in the contest, thanks to their skipper Shai Hope. Hope has started the match as an opener, pairing up with their in-form batter John Campbell. Campbell, who secured a half-century and a century in the first and second matches in the series, respectively, was dismissed cheaply in the third game.
After the departure of John Campbell, Shai Hope paired up nicely with their No.3 batter Amir Jangoo, and kept the scoreboard ticking. India, in their first innings, registered 351 runs with the support of KL Rahul's unbeaten 129 runs from 87 balls and Rohit Sharma's 92 off 85.
West Indies needs to produce something similar to keep themselves alive in the run chase. At the current moment, as Shai Hope is standing strong on the crease, scoring a century, he needs support from the opposite end of the crease.
Important match for both India and West Indies
Without crafting a significant partnership, the visitors may have to prepare themselves for a whitewash against the Men in Blue. The series has already gone into the hands of the Men in Blue with a 2-0 lead; for them, the third match is a dead rubber. But the match is crucial for them, keeping the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.
The clean sweep will bolster the Indian cricketeam's moraleal in the format. On the other side, the West Indies cricket team will have put all of their remaining resources to prevent losing another match to avoid a whitewash.
