India defended 223 against West Indies to win the third T20I by 14 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. It was the first time on this tour that a total was successfully defended, after both previous matches were won by the chasing side.
Asked to bat first after West Indies won the toss, India got off to a scratchy start before opener Abhishek Sharma took charge. His 30-ball 69, with six fours and five sixes, changed the course of the innings. He raced to his 14th T20I fifty in just 18 balls, and during the knock became the fastest batter to reach 2,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced (1,024), according to IANS.
A blistering start, then a wobble
Abhishek and Ishan Kishan put on 108 for the second wicket off only 40 balls, with Kishan making 37 off 18, taking India to 115 for 1 in nine overs and a massive total on the cards. But West Indies clawed back as India lost wickets to soft dismissals and mix-ups. Tilak Varma was run out for 28 after a mid-pitch misunderstanding with Axar Patel, who himself fell for 20 in a run-out mix-up with Arshdeep Singh. India were bowled out for 223 in 20 overs. Roston Chase took 2 for 38 and Shamar Springer 2 for 50.
Arshdeep holds his nerve
Chasing 224, West Indies were rocked early when Arshdeep Singh bowled the in-form Shai Hope, and the visitors never got ahead of the climbing required rate. Shimron Hetmyer hit 43 and Kamil Pooran 42, but Naman Dhir dismissed both to break the resistance. Shamar Springer's unbeaten 35 off 11 balls came too late as West Indies finished on 209 for 7. Arshdeep finished with 3 for 44, Dhir claimed two wickets, and Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one each.
The result puts India 2-1 ahead with two matches to go, after their eight-wicket win in Lucknow and West Indies' record 250 chase in Ranchi. As Cricinfo noted, on an Indore pitch where the low bounce made big hitting difficult, Abhishek's innings alone scored at 14 an over, giving India an above-par total that the bowlers finally defended with the dry ball.
Sources:
Arshdeep Singh takes 3 as India defeat West Indies — The Indian Express
Arshdeep and Abhishek power India to 2-1 lead — Cricinfo
Abhishek Sharma top-scores with 69 as India make 223 — IANS
Asked to bat first after West Indies won the toss, India got off to a scratchy start before opener Abhishek Sharma took charge. His 30-ball 69, with six fours and five sixes, changed the course of the innings. He raced to his 14th T20I fifty in just 18 balls, and during the knock became the fastest batter to reach 2,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced (1,024), according to IANS.
A blistering start, then a wobble
Abhishek and Ishan Kishan put on 108 for the second wicket off only 40 balls, with Kishan making 37 off 18, taking India to 115 for 1 in nine overs and a massive total on the cards. But West Indies clawed back as India lost wickets to soft dismissals and mix-ups. Tilak Varma was run out for 28 after a mid-pitch misunderstanding with Axar Patel, who himself fell for 20 in a run-out mix-up with Arshdeep Singh. India were bowled out for 223 in 20 overs. Roston Chase took 2 for 38 and Shamar Springer 2 for 50.
Arshdeep holds his nerve
Chasing 224, West Indies were rocked early when Arshdeep Singh bowled the in-form Shai Hope, and the visitors never got ahead of the climbing required rate. Shimron Hetmyer hit 43 and Kamil Pooran 42, but Naman Dhir dismissed both to break the resistance. Shamar Springer's unbeaten 35 off 11 balls came too late as West Indies finished on 209 for 7. Arshdeep finished with 3 for 44, Dhir claimed two wickets, and Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one each.
The result puts India 2-1 ahead with two matches to go, after their eight-wicket win in Lucknow and West Indies' record 250 chase in Ranchi. As Cricinfo noted, on an Indore pitch where the low bounce made big hitting difficult, Abhishek's innings alone scored at 14 an over, giving India an above-par total that the bowlers finally defended with the dry ball.
Sources:
Arshdeep Singh takes 3 as India defeat West Indies — The Indian Express
Arshdeep and Abhishek power India to 2-1 lead — Cricinfo
Abhishek Sharma top-scores with 69 as India make 223 — IANS
