India VS West Indies Match ball by ball Commentary

Signing off - An entertaining game overall, one that ebbed and flowed rather than being one-way traffic, which is always good to see. After what we witnessed in Ranchi, and with Indore’s reputation as a batter’s paradise, another run fest looked on the cards. But with the dew staying away, the bowlers were in the contest and made their presence felt. The action moves to Hyderabad for the 4th T20I on Wednesday 14th October, where West Indies need a win to keep the series alive. The first ball will be bowled at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST), and we look forward to having your company then. Take care, and goodbye!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Arshdeep Singh has been given the accolade for his impact with the ball in a high-scoring game, returning figures of 3/44 from his 4 overs. Arshdeep says it was nice to get the ball reversing a bit. He adds that he enjoys bowling with dew around, although he couldn't make it work in the previous game. Singh says there is no such thing as a leader of the attack or a senior in the team. Mentions that the environment is relaxed, with everyone enjoying each other's success and backing one another on bad days, knowing that there will be ups and downs along the way. Shares that he enjoys it when batters go hard at him, as it tests his skills and mental strength. His focus is on getting in early and working with both the new and old ball. With a packed schedule, he believes the team that adapts to conditions more quickly is more likely to come out on top.

The Indian captain - Shreyas Iyer says it was wonderful to see the bowlers looking so confident. Adds that the clarity in their thinking was clearly visible when he spoke to them, and they were ready to embrace the challenge, which is exactly what the team wants to see. He also praises their batting, calling Abhishek’s start phenomenal and singling out Ishan Kishan for stepping in and taking on the bowlers, calling his batting remarkable in the last couple of months. Also praises Prince Yadav's crucial cameo in the last over. On the approach against West Indies, Iyer admits they are never a side to be taken lightly, so the group worked to keep complacency at bay. Adds that with both venues known for big scores, the message was to trust the process, stick to routines and keep the intent offensive.

The captain of West Indies - Shai Hope feels it's difficult to pinpoint one particular reason for the defeat, as games like these often come down to small moments. He admits they could have been better with their execution with the ball and in the field, but is pleased with the way they fought back with the ball and finished well to give themselves a good chance of chasing the target. He feels losing wickets in the Powerplay put them on the back foot and believes they could have done better as a batting unit. Hope doesn't want to single out one or two batters, stressing that it is a collective effort and that building a solid foundation makes the chase much easier. Hope reckons the dry conditions made a real difference, pointing out that Arshdeep Singh even got the ball to reverse towards the end. He gives credit to India for bowling well and executing their plans effectively.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Let's hear from the Indian all-rounder - Nitish Kumar Reddy, on being asked how pleasing it is for the team to defend the total, keeps it humble, saying a win is a win, and the whole group is proud of the effort. He points out that it is never easy to bowl on this ground, but the team executed its plans perfectly, and the results followed. On his bowling plans when he came on, with West Indies needing 14 an over at that stage, he shares that the thinking was simple. Details that if India could restrict them to six singles off the over, it would count as a win, and adds that the idea was not to chase a wicket at all. Sometimes, he notes, being defensive is the most attacking option available. On bowling with a dry ball, he says the skipper's message was to stick to the plans and be brave in the crucial overs. When asked about the batting performance, Reddy feels India started really well, with a few unlucky dismissals along the way. He singles out Prince Yadav for the crucial late runs that made all the difference in the end.

A start that promised more - India got off to a rollicking start, with Abhishek Sharma coming through with his fireworks. With 87 runs in the Powerplay and 109/1 at the end of 8 overs, India looked destined for more than the 223 they eventually ended up with. They had slowed down in the middle phase in Ranchi, and once again it was in the middle overs that they wobbled. Just as the other night, Roston Chase was the architect of West Indies’ fightback with the ball. The hosts still managed to go past 220, with contributions coming down the order, even though Windies kept chipping away at the wickets right until the end.

No dew, no problem - After the defeat in Ranchi, Shreyas Iyer had talked about the margin of error being small on flat surfaces and in dewy conditions, with even the slightest miscue in execution proving costly. Tonight in Indore, India were a lot more on point with the ball, and with the dew not being present, that made the execution easier. Shai Hope fell cheaply, which is a rare occurrence on this tour of India for him, while Shimron Hetmyer got going but did not last long enough for West Indies’ chances. The lack of meaningful partnerships and the quality of India’s execution meant West Indies just could not keep up with the required run rate.

India take the lead - The Men in Blue fell short with the bat, as it seemed at the halfway mark, considering the position they were in, but the bowlers made sure that it was enough. This is the first time across both the ODIs and T20Is on this tour that a team has successfully defended a total. Riding high on the record chase in Ranchi, and after the way they fought back to limit India, West Indies would have felt that 224 was gettable, but never really threatened to pull it off.