After India's 14-run win in Indore, Shamar Springer said West Indies' Plan B against Abhishek Sharma was simply damage control, and the dew never came.
West Indies had no real answer for Abhishek Sharma in Indore, and Shamar Springer said so at the post-match press conference, ESPNcricinfo reported. Abhishek made 69 off 30 balls, and Springer described the bowling plan against him as damage control.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | India v West Indies, 3rd T20I, Holkar Stadium, Indore, Sunday 11 October 2026 |
| Result | India 223 all out in 20 overs, West Indies 209/7 in 20 overs; India won by 14 runs |
| Series | India lead the five-match T20I series 2-1 |
| Abhishek | 69 off 30 balls, fifty off 18 balls |
| Springer | 2/50 with the ball, including Abhishek, and 35 not out off 11 balls with the bat |
| Next | 4th T20I, Hyderabad, Wednesday |
"Not much you could really do"
Springer did not dress it up. "He's a world-class player. Kudos to him, for sure," he said, before laying out what West Indies had in mind once Abhishek got going.
"Our Plan B was to just be as defensive as possible and try to make him get singles and twos rather than boundaries," Springer said. He added that "there's not really much you could really do besides be defensive."
Abhishek v Roston Chase
The match-up that had gone West Indies' way earlier in the series did not this time. Roston Chase had dismissed Abhishek with his offspin in both the 1st and 2nd T20Is, and Abhishek began in unusually cautious fashion: 9 off 6 balls, nudging singles, respecting Chase's opening over.
Then he turned on him. ESPNcricinfo's analysis piece traced the third over: a full ball at 111.6kph driven through the covers for four, a slower one at 86.9kph launched over wide long-off for six, and two balls later another drive over the covers. Captain Shai Hope was forced to take Chase out of the attack, even with two left-handers at the crease.
- Chase's over: four, six and a boundary over the covers in the third over of the innings.
- Springer's turn: Abhishek hit him for 4, 4, 6 off successive deliveries, all through the off side.
- The dismissal: Springer got him in the end, top-edging a pull for a return catch.
The dew that never came
West Indies won the toss and bowled first, expecting dew to make the second innings harder for their spinners. Springer said it did not turn out that way: "We thought the wicket would play a little better." The ball, he said, "kept a bit lower than we expected," and "there wasn't really any dew."
Springer himself starred late in the chase, finishing with an unbeaten 35 off 11 balls that included three sixes and a boundary in the final over, ANI reported.
Praise for Chase
Springer was quick to back Chase despite the mauling. "He's been underrated so far, but in our dressing room, we really appreciate what he really does," he said, adding that Chase "brings that control and calmness to our team. He's the X-factor so far."
What is next
The series was level at 1-1 coming into Indore, after West Indies chased down India's 249/5 with 252/4 in 18.3 overs in Ranchi, the highest successful run chase in T20Is. Now they trail 1-2, and the 4th T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday is next.
Quotes and details are from ESPNcricinfo's story by Cricinfo staff, with scorecard and analysis detail from Cricinfo and the chase figures from ANI. Read the full story on Cricinfo. Cricinfo.
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