India beat West Indies by 14 runs in Indore to lead the five-match T20I series 2-1. Abhishek Sharma’s 69 off 30 balls anchored a total of 223, and Arshdeep Singh took 3 for 44 as Shamar Springer’s unbeaten 35 off 11 balls could not close the gap.
Indore: A total of 223 should settle a T20 match. At the Holkar Stadium on Sunday night it only started a contest. West Indies pushed India to the edge, finishing on 209 for 7, and the home side held on to take a series lead after losing the second match in Ranchi.
Abhishek sets the pace
West Indies chose to field, and Abhishek Sharma made them pay. He struck 69 off 30 balls, giving India the kind of start that lifts a total beyond the reach of most chases. Ishan Kishan added 37 off 18 before he was stumped off Roston Chase, and Tilak Varma’s 28 off 16 ended in a run-out.
Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed 21 off 14 and Axar Patel 20 off 14 as India reached 223. Run-outs trimmed the innings, but the total still left West Indies needing 224. Chase finished with 2 for 38 for the visitors, and Shamar Joseph also took two wickets.
Arshdeep and the middle overs
Arshdeep Singh removed Shai Hope for 5 early in the chase. Shimron Hetmyer hit 43 off 26 balls and Kamil Pooran made 42 off 27, and Naman Dhir dismissed both of them on his way to 2 for 39.
Arshdeep took two more wickets later in the innings to finish with 3 for 44, while Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one each. Reddy conceded only 19 runs in his two overs. Sherfane Rutherford added 32 off 20 for West Indies.
Springer’s late charge falls short
Springer gave the chase a final surge with an unbeaten 35 off 11 balls. West Indies still finished 15 runs short of the 224 they needed, and India took the match by 14 runs. Arshdeep was named Player of the Match.
What it means for the series
India lead 2-1 in the five-match series. They opened with an eight-wicket win in Lucknow behind Shreyas Iyer’s maiden T20I hundred, before West Indies chased down 250 in Ranchi. The fourth T20I follows in Hyderabad on Wednesday, 14 October, with the series finale in Bengaluru.
Result: India 223 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 69 off 30; Roston Chase 2/38) beat West Indies 209/7 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 43, Kamil Pooran 42, Shamar Springer 35* off 11; Arshdeep Singh 3/44, Naman Dhir 2/39) by 14 runs. Player of the Match: Arshdeep Singh. India lead the series 2-1.
