Indore. In the third T20 International against West Indies, accurate yorkers, reverse swing and clear strategy of the Indian bowlers became the decisive basis of victory. Player of the Match Arshdeep Singh described reverse swing from the dry ball as favorable for bowling, while Shreyas Iyer said the bowlers executed their plans with confidence. Nitish Kumar Reddy revealed that in the last overs, the Indian team adopted the strategy of restricting runs instead of taking wickets. At the same time, West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted that the Indian bowlers used the yorker better. India won the match by 14 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
:: Prefer to bowl in death overs with reverse swing: Arshdeep
Arshdeep Singh said that due to the ball being dry, there was some reverse swing and it was quite fun to use it in the death overs. He said that he likes bowling against aggressive batsmen because it gives an opportunity to test his skills and mental strength.
On the atmosphere of the team, Arshdeep said that no one in the Indian team keeps himself separate from others by considering himself a leader or senior. Players encourage each other after poor performance and assure that good and bad days keep coming in international cricket. He said that bowling with both new and old balls in practice is an important part of his preparation to adapt to the conditions.
:: Strategy of stopping runs led to success: Nitish Reddy
Nitish Kumar Reddy said that the Indian bowlers remained confident in their plans and bowled as per the captain’s instructions. He explained that when West Indies needed around 14 runs per over, the team made a strategy of restricting the batsmen to a maximum of one run instead of trying to take wickets on every ball.
Reddy said that sometimes defensive tactics also prove to be offensive. According to him, it was important not to deviate from the plan even after the batsman hit a six. On India’s batting, he said that the team started well, but the fall of some wickets in the middle affected its chances of making a big score. In the end, important runs from Prince Yadav also proved useful.
:: Clarity of bowlers and Abhishek’s start are important: Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer said that the Indian bowlers were completely clear about their plans and they implemented them effectively. According to him, every bowler was ready for the challenge and remained confident in his strategy even under pressure situations.
Iyer described Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive batting in the powerplay and Ishan Kishan’s contribution as important. He said that a team like West Indies cannot be taken lightly. The Indian team will have to play aggressive cricket while sticking to its process and regular practice. He also indicated that despite a good start, the batting needed to improve in the second half of the innings.
:: Indian bowlers performed better with yorkers: Shai Hope
West Indies captain Shai Hope said that small differences in cricket decide the outcome of the match. He admitted that his team could have done better on some occasions in bowling and the Indian batsmen got opportunities to score extra runs. However, he described West Indies’ comeback in the match as commendable.
Hope said that a strong opening partnership is important for the team. He also described the absence of dew as an important circumstance and said that the ball had started swinging more in the last part of the innings. Praising the Indian bowlers, he said that they showed how to properly execute bowling plans under pressure by bowling brilliant yorkers.
Batting first, India scored 223 runs in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma played an explosive inning of 69 runs in 30 balls. In reply, West Indies team could score only 209 runs for seven wickets. Arshdeep took three wickets and Naman Dheer took two wickets. Despite three sixes and a four from Shamar Springer in the last over, West Indies remained 14 runs short of the target.
