Indore stayed loud right till the last ball. Defending 224 on a lively Holkar Stadium surface, India held their nerve through a nervy finish to beat the West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I on Sunday night, going 2-1 up in the five-match series.
It was the kind of game that swings twice in every over. West Indies needed 224, and for long stretches they looked like they might actually get there. But India’s bowlers kept finding one wicket at exactly the right moment, and Arshdeep Singh, ice-cold in the clutch overs, finished with three for 44 to close the door.
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma had lit up the Indore night with a blistering 69 off just 30 balls, setting up India’s 223 all out. What followed was a chase full of fireworks from both sides, and one that fans will talk about for a while.
Abhishek’s fireworks set the tone
Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bowl first, and for the first few minutes it looked like a smart call. Sanju Samson fell for just three, cleaned up by Shamar Joseph with India’s total barely moving.
Then Abhishek Sharma took over. What happened next was batting of the purest T20 kind: clean, fearless and impossibly quick. He raced to his fifty in 18 balls, finding the boundary almost at will. Six fours, five sixes, and a strike rate of 230.
At the other end, Ishan Kishan played the perfect partner. His 37 off 18 balls was sharp and busy, and together the pair added 108 for the second wicket in no time. India were flying at over 11 an over, and the West Indies bowlers were searching for answers.
But cricket has a habit of biting back. Once Kishan fell, India’s middle order wobbled badly. Tilak Varma made 28 and there were handy cameos from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel, but wickets kept tumbling and India were bowled out for 223 off the final ball of the innings. Shamar Joseph, Roston Chase and Shamar Springer picked up two wickets apiece to pull things back smartly.
The chase that kept coming back
224 was a mountain, but West Indies have the muscle for mountains. Then Arshdeep struck in the second over, jagging one back to shatter captain Shai Hope’s stumps for five. It was a dream start for India and a brutal one for the visitors.
Shimron Hetmyer refused to let the game drift. His 43 off 26 balls was all timing and power, and for a while he dragged the chase back to life. But just when he was threatening to take the game away, spinner Naman Dhir slipped one past his bat in the seventh over. Hetmyer was gone, and India’s dugout erupted.
Kamil Pooran (42 off 27) looked scratchy for half his innings and then suddenly exploded, smashing Naman Dhir for three sixes in the 11th over. It felt like the turning point. It wasn’t. Dhir had the last word, getting Pooran caught by Arshdeep at square leg off the very next phase of that battle.
Sherfane Rutherford’s 32 off 20 and a late, outrageous 35 not out off just 11 balls from Shamar Springer kept the equation alive till deep in the death overs. But with wickets falling at the other end and the required rate climbing past 16, West Indies finished on 209 for seven.
Arshdeep delivers when it matters
Plenty of Indian bowlers had their moments. Naman Dhir’s two for 39 broke the back of the middle order, and Axar Patel’s removal of Rovman Powell was quietly crucial. But the night belonged to Arshdeep Singh.
His opening burst removed Hope. His middle-overs spell accounted for Rutherford and Keemo Paul. Three for 44 in a high-scoring game reads well on paper; in context, with the series on the line and the crowd holding its breath, it was the spell that won the match. He also chipped in with the bat and held a sharp catch to dismiss Pooran.
Vice-captain Tilak Varma deserves a mention too. After an embarrassing run-out earlier in the evening, he redeemed himself with two excellent catches in the deep, both taken at full stretch.
What this means for the series
The series now stands at 2-1 in India’s favour with two matches to play. Here is where things stand:
- 1st T20I: West Indies won (series 1-0 to WI)
- 2nd T20I: India won in Ranchi (level at 1-1)
- 3rd T20I: India won by 14 runs in Indore (India lead 2-1)
- 4th T20I: Wednesday, in Hyderabad
- 5th T20I: still to be played
India now need one more win to seal the series. West Indies, meanwhile, must win both remaining games, and on Sunday’s evidence they are far from out of it. Their batting depth took India to the final over, and Shai Hope’s men will fancy their chances on a fresh surface in Hyderabad.
FAQs
What was the result of the 3rd T20I between India and West Indies?
India beat West Indies by 14 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on October 11. India scored 223 all out and restricted West Indies to 209 for seven.
Who were the standout performers?
Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 69 off 30 balls for India, while Arshdeep Singh took three for 44. For West Indies, Shimron Hetmyer made 43 and Shamar Springer smashed an unbeaten 35 off 11 balls.
What is the series score now?
India lead the five-match T20I series 2-1.
When and where is the 4th T20I?
The fourth T20I will be played on Wednesday in Hyderabad.
How can West Indies still win the series?
West Indies need to win both remaining matches to take the series 3-2. Any other result hands India the series.
A series that began with West Indies on top has flipped in four days. Hyderabad on Wednesday now feels like a final, and if Sunday night was any guide, nobody should be making early plans.
