India held off a furious late charge from West Indies to win the third T20I in Indore by 14 runs and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The win came right after West Indies’ record chase in Ranchi.
A Rapid Start, Then a Collapse
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl, and India got off to a flying start. Abhishek Sharma raced to a fifty in just 18 balls and finished with 69 off 30, with six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 230. Ishan Kishan added a whirlwind 37 off 18, and India were 149/4 after 15 overs, well on their way to a huge total.
Then the innings fell apart. A late-order collapse and a few lower-order boundaries made for a chaotic final phase, and India were bowled out for 223 off the very last ball of their 20 overs. Roston Chase, Shamar Springer and Shamar Joseph took two wickets each for West Indies. It was still a big total, but India had left runs on the table.
West Indies Come Close Again
Chasing 224, West Indies showed the same attacking intent they had in Ranchi. Shimron Hetmyer made 43 off 26, and the chase stayed alive deep into the innings. India’s bowlers pulled it back in the middle overs, though, and West Indies were 176/7 and needed 48 off the last 12 balls. Arshdeep Singh and Naman Dhir shared five wickets between them and kept India in control for most of the chase.
Shamar Springer then made it nervy. He smashed an unbeaten 35 off just 11 balls, with four sixes, and hit 22 off Arshdeep’s final over. It fell 14 runs short, with West Indies finishing on 209/7.
What It Means
India lead the series 2-1 with two matches left, and the head-to-head record stands at 21-11 in their favor across 33 T20Is. The win bounced them back after the Ranchi defeat, but the way the innings ended, from 149/4 to all out, will worry them. West Indies keep showing they can chase anything, and with Springer and Hetmyer both in form, the last two matches are still wide open.
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