Shai Hope urges West Indies to embrace India challenge in three-match ODI series

West Indies captain Shai Hope urged his players to embrace the challenge of playing India in India as they prepare for a three-match ODI series starting Sunday. He made the remarks at a pre-match press conference ahead of the tour.

Hope will lead a West Indies squad described as a mix of experienced players and promising youngsters, with the visitors aiming to end a long wait for an ODI series win in India. "Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge. It's one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace. It's a great indicator for us to see where we are as a team," Hope said at the pre-match press conference.

Hope outlined his own record against India, noting he has scored 988 runs in 26 ODIs against India at an average of 47, including three hundreds and five fifties. He highlighted an even stronger return when playing in India, where he has 741 runs in 14 ODIs at an average of 74.1, with three hundreds and three fifties.

On preparation and technique, Hope stressed the need to adjust to varying conditions and to focus on detail. "I pride myself a lot on trying to be the best I can be. One of those things, you have to be able to adapt to different conditions, and play against different oppositions. It's not always going to work out. Every day is not going to be your day."

He added that meticulous training and preparation underpin his approach to scoring. "But I really try to focus on the fine details to give myself the best chance to score runs. Here in India, you're going to play differently as if you're going to in Australia, or even back in the Caribbean. It's just about being very critical with the way you go about your training and preparation."

Hope said he shares that mindset with teammates and hopes newcomers to India will start well. "That's something I always try to put up there in the team rooms whenever we have our chats and discussions. Hopefully, some of the guys will never be here before, and get a good start to their Indian career. This is one tour you look forward to. When I was younger in my career, it was a tour I was expecting a lot from myself," he added.

West Indies have not won an ODI series in India since 2002, when Carl Hooper's side beat India 4-3 in a seven-match series; Hope said that historical record provides motivation. "The harsh reality is that almost every series that we go into, those stats are always at the top of the list. We always say we haven't beaten this team in 20 years or 15 years. It will definitely be adding motivation."

Hope backed his spin options for the tour, naming Roston Chase, Gudakesh Moti and Vitel Lawes among the choices. "The spinners that we have on this tripthe experience of Ross then and Moti, they have played quite a few games, and they have a big impact for West Indies over the last few years. Obviously, Lawes is coming into the game, like he's been shown what he's capable of at this level. "So, it's a great indication that he can continue along those lines. But I expect him to keep growing as a left-arm spinner, as a wrist spinner, and he can be an asset for us going forward. We are leaning on them here," Hope concluded.

The three-match ODI series between India and West Indies begins on Sunday, with Hope set to lead his side in the opening game.