‘India need to get Shai Hope out’: Nayar suggests change of tactics against Windies skipper

West Indies’ Shai Hope plays a shot during the fourth T20I cricket match of the India vs West Indies series in Hyderabad, Telangana. (PTI Photo) Former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar has said that India will have to get Shai Hope out as the West Indies skipper has been troubling the bowling attack and winning matches almost unaided.Hope has been in stellar form in the ongoing white-ball series against India, scoring four centuries in 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 batsman scoring unbeaten centuries in each of them. With the T20I series deadlocked at 2-2 ahead of Saturday’s decider in Bengaluru, Nayar said the Men in Blue must find a way to unseat Hope and suggested strategies they could use to get him out early.“West Indies batted well and they bowled well in the previous match too. But you have to find a way to get Shai Hope out. You have to find a way to stop West Indies from scoring during the power-over and that’s where the think tank comes together, plans, strategizes and brings it all together; then you can get the result you want,” Nayar told JioStar.Hope scored 539 runs in seven white-ball innings, including four centuries. His 261 runs in four T20Is are already the most by any visiting batsman in a bilateral series in India, reflecting his dominance throughout the tour.“After a long time, a player like that came to India, scored runs, captained, also kept wicket and scored runs consistently with the bat. When he scores runs, the team wins and that is the hallmark of a great, great player who scores runs and makes sure the team wins. He uses his art and finesse as well as power,” Nadeje said while Shai is brilliant.Nayar also suggested that India should change their lines and lengths against Hope, who found deliveries aimed at the stumps easy to score.“When you’re bowling on the stumps, it’s been very easy for him to score, which means sometimes inconsistency is the best consistency you can have against Shai Hope.”“That’s something that India will have to think about and come up with a plan to make sure he starts playing more behind the square and how they start using the short ball more against him,” he added.