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India fell 24 runs short of a target of 248 as the West Indies won the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, taking the five-match series to a 2-2 tie.Sanju Samson gave India a fast start with 56 off 23 balls, but Keemo Paul struck twice in the fifth over to dismiss Samson and Ishan Kishan, denting the chase.
Shreyas Iyer (16 off 11) also fell soon after, before Gudakesh Motie removed Abhishek Sharma (29 off 24) and Naman Dhir (0 off 1) in the 12th over. India were reduced to 130/5 and needed a big partnership to stay in the contest.Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy added 70 runs for the sixth wicket to bring India back into the game.
Tilak scored 43 off 25 balls, while Reddy made 41 off 20. However, Tilak fell in the 17th over and Reddy was dismissed in the 19th, leaving India with too much to do.Paul led the West Indies bowling effort, taking five wickets for 41 runs in his four overs to help seal the win.
The series is now level at 2-2, with the fifth and final T20I scheduled to be played in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17.Earlier, Shai Hope struck an unbeaten century to help the West Indies post 247/3 after being asked to bat.
He completed his hundred with a six off the final ball of the innings, finishing on 102 not out off 50 deliveries.Sherfane Rutherford provided support at the other end, scoring an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls. The pair added 91 runs in 43 balls to push the visitors to a big total.The West Indies hit 16 sixes and received 18 extras as India's bowlers struggled to contain them. Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh conceded 52 runs each in their four overs, while missed chances in the field also hurt India.Hope's century was his second of the series, fourth on the tour and third in T20 internationals.