(ESPNCRICINFO) – Axar Patel smashed India’s second-fastest ODI fifty against West Indies, leading the way in a collective batting effort from the visitors in a tight chase of 312 in the second ODI. As a result, Shai Hope’s hundred in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran’s attacking 74 went in vain, as the hosts lost the match — and with it, the series — despite dominating the majority of their defence.

Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson also hit half-centuries, but Axar’s unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls turned the screw in the last ten overs after Shubman Gill made 43 and Deepak Hooda contributed 33.

India needed 100 to win from 60 balls with five wickets in hand, with Axar and Hooda at the crease; Hooda departed with 56 runs needed off 36, leaving Axar and Shardul Thakur to complete the job. By then, Axar had already clobbered three sixes, with more on its way.

The turning point of the chase arrived with 48 required off the last five overs: Alzarri Joseph conceded 16, including two above waist full-toss no-balls despite dismissing Thakur, and West Indies missed running out No. 10 Avesh Khan off the last ball. Next over, Axar slammed two fours and Avesh added one more off Romario Shepherd. Suddenly the equation was 19 off 18.

Avesh wouldn’t go without collecting his share of runs even if he leaked 54 in six overs on debut. He hit 10 off 12 balls, asking Axar to wipe out the last eight runs in the company of Mohammed Siraj. Axar, in red-hot touch, got a full toss from Kyle Mayers, which he sent flying over the bowler’s head.

The chase was set up by a firm start by Gill, and then a 99-run stand between Iyer and Samson. Gill made up for his partner Shikhar Dhawan’s struggles with a serene 43 off 49 balls. But when he and Suryakumar Yadav fell in the space of 11 balls, India were 79 for 3 in the 18th over.

Samson got to his maiden ODI fifty — his knock of 54 off 51 balls included three fours and three sixes – pleasingly clearing the long-off boundary by lofting the spinners with high elbows. Iyer, on the other hand, had had a sedate start, managing only 19 off his first 33 deliveries. That is when he broke free to finish with 63 off 71 balls, cutting, pulling and lifting balls for boundaries.

The fact that India had as many as 312 to chase was down to Hope and Pooran’s fourth-wicket stand of 117; 74 of which came off Pooran’s bat. Hope got 115 — his third triple-figure score in 11 ODI innings.

Having taken 124 balls to get to 94, Hope swung back-to-back sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal (1-69) in the 45th over to get to his landmark and cap an expensive day for the leg-spinner, off whom he took all three of his sixes.

But it was not just Hope who took a liking to Chahal; Pooran too bashed three sixes – including two in the 39th over. Their partnership, scoring at almost a-run-a-ball, gradually took the momentum away from India, who had struck twice in quick succession after an aggressive start by West Indies.