NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer, who tore apart Zimbabwe’s attack with a savage assault in the West Indies’ 107-run victory in a Super Eights clash on Monday, said the turning point in his batting has been keeping things simple and trusting his instincts.

Hetmyer hammered seven sixes and seven fours in a stunning 85 off only 34 deliveries as the Caribbean side piled up 254 for 6, the second-highest total in the tournament’s history.

WI vs ZIM: Caribbean storm blows Zimbabwe away by 107 runs

The Player of the Match admitted that earlier in his career he often complicated his approach, which hurt his output.

"Not overthinking my batting (now). In the past, I used to overthink a lot... about plans, about getting out. Now, I'm trying to think less and let the bat do the talking, just react (to the situation)," said the West Indies white-ball specialist after the game.

He said the innings was particularly satisfying after a disappointing outing against Italy in the group stage where he scored just one.

"It means a lot, actually, especially because I didn't get much in the last game (vs Italy). For me, it's about continuing to replicate what I've been doing over the past couple of months.

"I'm trying to stick to the same process, and so far, it's been working."

He added that he now feels completely at ease batting at No. 3, having grown into the role and understood its demands better.

"It's definitely easier now because I've been doing it for a while. I understand the role better, I know how situations unfold, and having the backing of everyone in the team really helps. That support puts me in a much more comfortable headspace."

Despite smashing seven towering sixes that drained Zimbabwe’s morale, Hetmyer stressed that the team’s mission is far from complete.

"I'm not thinking too much about it (sixes record), to be honest. It does feel good to have achieved something like that, but as a team, we haven't really accomplished anything yet.

"It's just one game, and there's still a long way to go. We're taking it one game at a time and just trying to keep pushing forward," he said.

Hope hails collective effort

West Indies captain Shai Hope said it was heartening to see contributions coming from across the squad in such a dominant performance.

"We all enjoyed it, to be honest. When everyone is firing like that, it's a real joy to watch. It's great to see contributions coming from all around. Rovman Powell, everyone adding to the tally."

On the return of left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who claimed four wickets on Monday, Hope said the bowler’s time away had worked in his favour.

"We sometimes underestimate and neglect how important time away from the game can be, especially when you're playing a lot of cricket. He's (Motie) been one of our best bowlers across formats, and it's been great to see him come back having used that time wisely.

"He's clearly worked on his skills and even added something extra with his wrist spin, which has been very beneficial for us," said Hope.

Raza refuses excuses after heavy loss

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said he would not hide behind venue changes or conditions, insisting that his side must learn from the setback.

"I don't want to think like that (challenges with changing venues). If we think about venues, if we think about the change in the country, we will learn nothing from this game.

"For me and for Zimbabwe, it's very important that we take something out this. Excuses won't help us. If we are good enough to go through, we must play good cricket wherever we are, here or in Sri Lanka. So the venue change doesn't bother me. What matters is that we've taken some valuable lessons from today," said Raza.

He admitted that the pitch did not behave entirely as expected and that his bowlers struggled once it began to turn.

"We expected the pitch to stay true and flat, but it started turning, and that's where we lost control. From an experience point of view, it was a great game. The boys will learn a lot, how to bowl on slower surfaces and how to bowl to batters who can hit the ball hard and a long way."

Raza said Zimbabwe would carry the scars of the heavy defeat but remain determined heading into their next match.

"Despite the bruises from today, every time Zimbabwe walks out, we aim to win. We want to put in strong performances and earn respect. If it's India, then it's India. Both teams have lost games, so there's plenty to prove.

"We'll take the lessons from today, use what we know about Chennai, and try to perform better. Then we'll see what happens," added Raza.

(With PTI Inputs)