Shai dashes India's tour match hopes

India’s bowlers were denied by a superb Shai Hope century as their two-day tour-match against the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI finished in a draw in St Kitts.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra claimed 4-67 for India, with new head coach Anil Kumble watching on in his first game in charge, but it was Hope who stole the headlines as he struck 15 boundaries on the way to an unbeaten 118 to help the WICB President’s XI to 7-281, in reply to India’s 3-258.

The 22-year-old Hope, who has yet to pass 50 so far in his six-Test career, admitted his innings against the No.2 ranked Test side was a morale-booster.

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“It gives you a lot of confidence because coming up against a decent side like India, the bowlers, the batters all of them are world class so you have to take something from it,” he said after play.

“Whenever you come to the crease it’s about applying yourself no matter what time of day it is. The wicket was primarily on the slow side so it was about applying yourself.

“It was difficult to score quickly on it but as long as you batted and wore down the bowlers, it became a lot easier in the evening.”

Batting at first drop, Hope came to the crease in the sixth over of the day after Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the early scalp of opener Leon Johnson.

Hope and Rajendra Chandrika put on 122 for the second wicket before Mishra sparked a collapse.

The wrist-spinner had Chandrika stumped for 69 and then Jermaine Blackwood caught behind in successive deliveries, as the WICB President’s XI slumped to 7-177, with Hope fast running out of partners.

But the Barbadian found a willing ally in No.9 Jomel Warrican. The pair put on 104 to bat out the remaining 23 overs of the day, with Warrican finishing not out on 50.

Mishra was the pick of the Indian bowlers and staked his claim to partner fellow tweaker Ravi Ashwin in the first Test in Antigua.

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Kumar was the most economical of the tourists’ pace-attack, finishing with 1-29 from 13 overs while Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav snared a wicket apiece. Ishant Sharma went wicket-less from his 13 overs.

Virat Kohli's men play another tour match, a three-day game, in St Kitts against the WICB President’s XI beginning on Thursday and the first Test of the four-match series gets underway Antigua on July 21.