INDORE – Shimron Hetmyer and Kamil Pooran fought valiantly, but the West Indies fell agonisingly short against India in a thrilling third Twenty20 International at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in India on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 224, the visitors ultimately finished on 209-7, handing India a hard-fought 14-run victory and securing crucial series momentum.
Hetmyer led the charge for the Caribbean side with a dynamic 43, anchoring the innings with authority, while Kamil Pooran provided a brilliant supporting hand with a brisk and aggressive 42. Together, their partnership kept the required run rate within touching distance during the middle overs.
Later, Shamar Springer played a fearless, unbeaten cameo of 35 to keep home hearts fluttering, alongside valuable contributions from Sherfane Rutherford (32) and Quentin Sampson (21). However, regular breakthroughs from India's disciplined bowling attack prevented a historic successful chase.
Arshdeep Singh proved to be the destroyer for the hosts, claiming 3-44, while Naman Dhir chipped in with 2-39 to stifle the late onslaught.
Earlier in the match, India posted a formidable 223 in their allotted 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma set the tone at the top of the order with a blistering 69, ably supported by Ishan Kishan (37) and Tilak Varma (28), who kept the scoreboard ticking at a rapid pace.
Despite spirited bowling spells from Roston Chase (2-38), Springer (2-50), and Shamar Joseph (2-54), each picking up two wickets apiece, the immense scoreboard pressure ultimately proved too steep for the West Indies batting lineup to completely overcome.
Summarised scores
INDIA 223 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 69, Ishan Kishan 37, Tilak Varma 28, Ntish Kumar Reddy 21, Axar Patel 20, Prince Yadav 13 not out, Arshdeep Singh 11, Naman Dhir 10; Roston Chase 2-38, Shamar Springer 2-50, Shamar Joseph 2-54).
WEST INDIES 209-7 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 43, Kamil Pooran 42, Shamar Springer 35 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 32, Quentin Sampson 21, Keemo Paul 10; Arshdeep Singh 3-44, Naman Dhir 2-39).
Result: India won by 14 runs to lead the five-match series 2-1.
Toss: West Indies elected to field.
Player-of-the-Match: Arshdeep Singh.
Umpires: Jayaraman Madanagopal, Virender Sharma.
TV Umpire: Nitin Menon
Reserve Umpire: Rohan Pandit.
Match Referee: Prakash Bhatt.
