Nobody saw this coming. India had already won the series, they had piled up 351 runs, and the home side looked like clear favourites. Then Shai Hope rewrote the script. The India vs West Indies 3rd ODI in New Chandigarh turned into one of the great chases of the year.

However, one call stood tall before a single run was scored. SportzSage told its users to back the side batting second. In other words, it went against the crowd and the odds. As a result, SportzSage users were ahead of the game once again.

India vs West Indies 3rd ODI: The Result in Brief

West Indies won by five wickets with ten balls to spare on Saturday, 3 October 2026. They chased down 352 for the loss of five wickets in 48.2 overs. It is the highest successful ODI chase in their history.

India still won the series 2-1 despite the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI defeat, thanks to eight-wicket wins in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati. Even so, this defeat will sting. It ended a long wait for West Indies, who had not beaten India in an ODI since 2023.

Key numbers at a glance

India made 351/7 in their 50 overs. West Indies replied with 352/5. Hope finished unbeaten on 162 off 143 balls, while KL Rahul had struck 129 not out off 87 for India. Both men played superbly. Only one finished on the winning side.

How India Built a Mountain of Runs

India won the toss and chose to bat. However, the start was a disaster. Jayden Seales removed Shubman Gill for one, caught behind. On the very next ball, Virat Kohli was bowled for a golden duck. India were 4/2.

Only 28 runs came from the first ten overs. Meanwhile, West Indies looked firmly in control. Then Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad changed the mood.

Rohit and Gaikwad steady the ship

The pair added 137 for the third wicket. Rohit made a fluent 92 off 85 balls before Keemo Paul caught him in the 25th over. He fell eight runs short of a hundred. Gaikwad then scored 57 off 69 balls, including four sixes, before Seales removed him as well.

Seales finished with 3/62. He deserved far more luck than the scoreboard shows.

Rahul goes big at the death

Next came the KL Rahul show. He reached fifty off 41 balls and his second fifty off just 39. He finished on 129 not out off 87 balls, with ten fours and six sixes. Most importantly, India took 22 runs off the final over.

At that stage, 351 looked more than enough. After all, India had chased down 300 and 406 in their first two games of the series. Most fans expected the hosts to defend it.

Shai Hope Wins the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI

Hope had a tough day in the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI before he even padded up. He kept wicket for all 50 overs in heavy humidity. Jewel Andrew then left the field with a finger injury, and Hope moved up to open the batting.

He started brightly. West Indies raced to 78/1 in the powerplay. John Campbell fell to Mohammed Siraj, but Hope and Amir Jangoo added 109 for the second wicket. Jangoo hit 67 off 56 balls before a run-out ended his stay in the 21st over.

Hope reaches his hundred in style

Hope raised his fifty off 46 balls and his hundred off 104. It was his 21st ODI century. Then he accelerated. He scored 62 off his last 39 balls, with seven fours and two sixes in that burst.

Along the way, Sherfane Rutherford added 56 with him. Keemo Paul then hit 44 off 35 balls in a stand of 65. When Paul and Matthew Forde fell in quick succession, India sensed a comeback. However, Hope never blinked.

The Kamboj over and the finish

Debutant Anshul Kamboj had a night to forget, ending with 0/82 from nine overs. His expensive over, bowled with a no-ball in the mix, effectively settled the contest. Gudakesh Motie then helped Hope add an unbroken 62 off just 29 balls.

Hope hit the winning run himself. His 162 not out is the highest score in a successful ODI chase against India. The previous best was Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 160 in Rajkot in 2009. It also passed Desmond Haynes’ 152 not out as West Indies’ highest ODI score against India.

After the match, Hope admitted that chasing in India is “always a lot easier” with the dew. He also said he felt something around the groin area but fought through the pain. That fighting spirit won the match.

Why the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI Was a Perfect Test of Prediction

On paper, the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI looked like a straightforward India win. They had the form, the home crowd and the batting depth. They also set a huge target. Yet the numbers told a different story for anyone who looked closely.

Dew makes the ball slippery in the evening. Spinners and seamers lose their grip. As a result, chasing sides often have a hidden edge on flat Indian pitches, especially when the powerplay goes well. West Indies had that start, and Hope did the rest.

SportzSage Predictions: Spot On Again

This is where the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI gets personal for us. SportzSage’s pick for the game was clear: “Favour second batting team as they are likely to be in hot favourites position by @15:39 GMT.”

That call went against all the odds. India had won the toss, posted 351 and looked untouchable. Nevertheless, the second batting team, West Indies, went on to win. SportzSage called it right.

How the SportzSage algorithm works

SportzSage does not guess. Its own time-based mathematical algorithms track how a match shifts over time. Expert analysis then adds the human layer: pitch, dew, team balance and match situation. Together, they flag moments when the crowd has it wrong.

Consider the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI. A big first-innings total usually makes the first-batting side an easy favourite. However, the algorithm looks beyond the headline score. It asks whether conditions help the chase. In this case, the answer was yes.

If you want sharper cricket predictions from SportzSage, the apps are free to download today. Many fans now check them before every big match.

Three Turning Points in the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI

Every great chase has moments where the game tilts. The India vs West Indies 3rd ODI had three. Each one explains why the second batting team came out on top.

1. The powerplay blitz

West Indies scored 78 in the first ten overs. Hope and Campbell hit eight boundaries between them in the first four. As a result, the required rate never became a worry. Chasing 352 at seven an over feels very different from chasing it at eight and a half.

2. The Hope and Jangoo partnership

Their stand of 109 took the game away from India’s bowlers. Jangoo attacked from the start, and Hope picked his moments. Meanwhile, India’s attack bowled too many loose balls. Moreover, the fielders looked flat in the humid evening air.

3. The 48th over

Kamboj’s over cost India the contest. A no-ball gave Hope a free hit, and he hammered it over mid-on to reach 150. Therefore, the equation shrank quickly. India also served a slow over-rate penalty, which left an extra fielder inside the circle for the last four overs. That cost them dearly.

Series Recap: India Win, but West Indies Leave with Pride

India took the opening two games comfortably. They chased 296 in the first ODI and then a mammoth 406 in the second, where Gill hit an unbeaten 223. Those were high-scoring games, so the third match felt like a formality. Instead, the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI became the best game of the lot.

Ultimately, the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI shows how much the format favours batters. Totals above 350 are common. Therefore, smart match analysis matters more than ever. Fans who only look at the first-innings score miss half the picture.

What This India vs West Indies 3rd ODI Result Means

For West Indies, this win is a big confidence boost. It proves the batting can chase anything, even 352. Hope looks in the form of his life. In addition, the side has shown real character after a series defeat.

For India, the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI is a reminder that no total is safe. The bowling attack needs answers, especially at the death. Kamboj will learn from his debut. Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will want a better showing next time.

What’s Next: India vs West Indies T20Is

The cricket does not stop here. A five-match T20I series starts on Tuesday in Lucknow. The format is faster and the margins are smaller. Dew will again play a role in the evening games, so the toss and the chase will matter.

Expect more twists after the India vs West Indies 3rd ODI. After this result, West Indies will believe they can win from anywhere. India, meanwhile, will want revenge in the shortest format.

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