West Indies batter explains tactical approach after India's 14-run victory in third T20I in Indore.
India defeated West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20 International at Indore on October 11, 2026, extending their lead in the five-match series to 2-1. India posted 223 runs, while West Indies managed 209 for seven in reply. The match featured a dominant batting display from India's opening order, with Abhishek Sharma's explosive innings setting the tone for the home team's total.
Shamar Springer, the West Indies batter who scored 35 not out off 11 balls, spoke to reporters after the match about his team's tactical approach to the contest. Springer explained the adjustments West Indies attempted against Abhishek, who had been in exceptional form throughout the series.
"He is a world-class player. Kudos to him, for sure. But I guess our plan B is to just be as defensive as possible and try to make him get singles and twos, running at moments. Nothing too extravagant," Springer said as quoted by NDTV Sports.
"It was just a matter of trying to pull him back and be as impressive as possible. Because there's not much control you can really have here. The wickets are so good and those players are world-class players and they're the best for a reason. So, it's not really much you can really do besides be defensive," he added.
Abhishek Sharma scored 69 off 30 balls, striking six fours and five sixes to record his 14th T20I half-century. More significantly, he became the fastest batter in terms of balls faced to complete 2,000 T20I runs. His 108-run second-wicket partnership with Ishan Kishan, who contributed 37 off 18 deliveries, proved decisive in building India's total.
Springer acknowledged that West Indies believed the target was achievable and could have contested the match more closely. Despite his own explosive finish with four sixes and two fours, West Indies fell short by 14 runs. Springer attributed the loss to pitch conditions and weather factors rather than tactical failures.
"I guess we missed out on a few balls. Still, kudos to the (Indian) bowlers. They actually did pretty well. But there were a few balls that we could have put away and maybe brought the game a little closer. They kind of stifled us and left us with too much (many) runs down the end. We thought the wicket would play a little better. The ball kept a bit lower than we expected. Also, we thought there would be some dew in the second half but there wasn't really any dew. The nature of the wicket was a little low, and the Indian bowlers used the wicket a lot better," Springer said.
When asked about Shai Hope's early dismissal for five runs, Springer rejected the notion that the West Indies captain's quick exit had a cascading negative effect on the team's batting performance. Springer maintained that individual dismissals did not define the overall outcome of the chase.
"I don't think so. We have great depth. We are back in the middle. Today wasn't as good. It was an opportunity for someone else to step up. I mean, we fell short by 14 runs. In the middle period and powerplay, if we had got six more runs in either phase, we probably could have got over it," Springer said.