After losing the first two games of the series, Team India bounced back pretty well to stay alive in the series. India registered a rather one-sided win by seven wickets in the third T20I on Tuesday at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
The bowlers did a decent job of restricting the hosts to just 159/5, and then the Indian batting finished off the job despite losing both openers early. Suryakumar Yadav looked at his absolute best and struck a 25-ball fifty, while Tilak Varma continued his dream debut series.
The Indian skipper Hardik Pandya finished the job with a six. But despite that, he was criticized. Hardik smashed a six on the fifth ball of the 18th over off Rovman Powell when India needed two runs to win. India did win the game, but on the other hand, Tilak remained unbeaten on 49 runs off 37 balls, including four boundaries and one six.
Indian fans didn’t like Hardik’s act and remembered when MS Dhoni blocked a ball to give Virat Kohli a chance to finish the game in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa. Hardik’s six denied Tilak’s fifty. This could be Tilak’s second consecutive half-century.
When MS Dhoni let Virat Kohli lay the finishing touch 📹
— ICC (@ICC) December 23, 2020
Revisit the sweet gesture by captain Dhoni from the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/EKcWsCh9r1
Speaking of the game, West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first. They started well with a 55-run opening stand. But the Indian bowlers pulled things back. West Indies ended up with a score of 159/5. Powell played a brilliant cameo of 40 runs off just 19 balls, with three sixes and one four.
For India, Kuldeep Yadav took 3/28 on his return. In reply, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (1) and Shubman Gill (6) early. But Suryakumar and Tilak added an important third-wicket partnership of 87 runs. Surya made a blistering 83 off 44 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes. India won the game with 13 balls to spare. Now both teams will lock horns on Saturday in Florida in the fourth T20I match.
