Indore: A sloppy batting approach in the middle overs took the sheen off opener Abhishek Sharma’s sprightly 69 as India managed 223 all out on a track with some variable bounce against the West Indies in the third T20I Sunday.

Abhishek’s fiery knock came off 30 balls (6×6, 5×4) and his 108-run stand for the second wicket off only 40 balls with Ishan Kishan had put India on course for a massive total.

But India slipped from 115 for one to 223 all out, which included a brain fade from vice-captain Tilak Varma (28).

Tilak ran himself out while not even attempting to get back to the non-strikers’ end.

Axar Patel’s hit was saved at the ropes by Kamil Pooran, but the Indian batters thought they had got a boundary. Having met at the middle of the pitch after completing a single, Axar got back into the crease in time before the stumps were broken.

But Tilak was still strolling back and was caught well short of the crease when Gudakesh Motie broke the stumps off the throw from the stumper.

Shortly after that, Axar (20) himself was run-out after a mix-up with Arshdeep Singh.

Earlier in the innings, a few deliveries kept lower than expected, but it all changed the moment Abhishek unleashed himself.

In the third over, Roston Chase (238) was swatted for a four over cover when the offie looked to angle one into him, and followed it up with two sixes.

With those three shots, Abhishek had made it clear that it was his day to drive India’s innings forward, and he did it with his 14th half-century which came off 18 balls.

Abhishek put on a century alliance with Kishan who played the perfect second fiddle, hammering six fours and a six to make 37 off 18 balls.

India were on course for a total in excess of 250 when Abhishek and Kishan were on song, but the momentum completely changed when Chase decided to alter the length in the ninth over.

Having been smacked for a six over his head in the previous ball, Chase pitched one short, guessing Kishan’s forward movement and Shai Hope was quick enough to whip the bails off. It was the third time Chase dismissed Kishan in this series.

Three balls later, Chase lured Shreyas Iyer (1) with a flighted delivery and Iyer failed to connect the ball. The umpire ruled him out leg before.

Abhishek went after a short ball from Shamar Springer but a mishit brought an end to his knock, and India were in trouble with Naman Dhir (10) finding the fielder at long-off in the 11th over.

Orissa POST – Read’s No.1 English Daily