India clinched a hard-fought 14-run victory over West Indies in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday, reclaiming the lead at 2-1.
West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to bowl first. India posted 223 all out in their 20 overs. The innings was powered by a scintillating knock from opener Abhishek Sharma, who scored 69 off just 30 balls, including six fours and five sixes. He brought up his half-century in only 18 deliveries and shared a rapid 108-run partnership for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan (37 off 18 balls).
After a strong powerplay, India suffered a middle-order collapse, losing wickets regularly as the score moved from 115 for 1 to 135 for 5. Useful contributions from Tilak Varma (28), Nitish Kumar Reddy (21), and Axar Patel (20) helped the hosts reach a competitive total, with Prince Yadav providing a late flourish before Mayank Yadav was dismissed on the final ball.
In the chase, West Indies reached 209 for 7. Early wickets set India on course, as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Hope cheaply and later returned to remove Sherfane Rutherford with a yorker. Naman Dhir struck twice, accounting for Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer when the pair threatened to accelerate. Despite a late blitz from Shamar Springer (35 not out off 11 balls), West Indies fell 14 runs short.
Arshdeep Singh finished with figures of 3 for 44, while the Indian bowling unit executed disciplined plans at the death after conceding heavily in the previous match at Ranchi. The win marks the first successful defence of a total in the series so far and gives India the upper hand heading into the remaining two matches.
Captain Shreyas Iyer’s side will look to build on this momentum, with the series still wide open.
