India opener Abhishek Sharma knew the West Indies had a strategy to contain his explosive batting. However, the left-hander had a straightforward response: he needed to play better than their plan.
Abhishek’s blistering 30-ball 69 helped India beat the West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. After the match, West Indies all-rounder Shamar Springer revealed that the visitors’ Plan B was to adopt a defensive approach and limit Abhishek to singles and twos rather than allow him to continue hitting boundaries.
Abhishek smashed six fours and five sixes, registering his 14th T20I half-century and reaching 2,000 runs in the format in record time in terms of balls faced. His 108-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who contributed 37 runs, helped India post a formidable total of 223.
The Indian bowlers then held their nerve to restrict the West Indies to 209/7, securing a crucial 14-run victory.
Springer Reveals West Indies’ Plan B Against Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek initially took on Roston Chase’s off-spin, forcing the West Indies to reconsider their approach against the in-form opener. According to Springer, the visitors decided to focus on restricting the scoring rather than taking unnecessary risks in search of a wicket.
“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 told reporters after the match.
He added that the conditions and quality of the Indian batters made it difficult for the West Indies to maintain control.
“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,” Springer said.
Despite the defensive strategy, Abhishek gave India an explosive start, creating the platform the hosts needed to withstand a late challenge from the visitors.
Springer also produced a powerful finish, scoring an unbeaten 35 off just 11 balls, including four sixes and two fours. However, his late assault was not enough to take the West Indies across the finish line.
‘I Had to Play Better Than That’: Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek acknowledged that he was aware of the West Indies’ tactics, particularly when Chase opened the bowling and the field placements appeared designed to restrict his preferred scoring options.
“I wouldn’t say it was deliberate, but it was there in my mind that they had a plan against me,” Abhishek said.
He explained that facing Chase was a contest in itself and that he initially chose to respect the spinner’s bowling.
“With the off-spinner bowling against me, it was just a battle between him and me. I gave him respect in the first over because he is bowling really well in this series, so it is just the plan that went pretty well for me as well,” he added.
The Indian opener also explained that his attacking shots were largely a response to the field placements rather than a premeditated attempt to target particular areas.
“I don’t think and play deliberately. It just happens when I see the field placement, whenever they have a field placement which allows me to just give myself room and play those shots,” he said.
His ability to read the field and adjust his strokeplay helped him overcome the West Indies’ attempt to restrict his scoring.
India Refuse to Give West Indies a Chance to Come Back
Despite posting 223 runs, India faced a late scare as the West Indies continued to attack during the chase. Abhishek said the Indian team remained aware of the visitors’ ability to turn a match around, even when wickets were falling.
“West Indies is such a team that you can never say that the match is now on our side,” he said.
Reflecting on the opposition’s batting strength and the conditions, Abhishek explained why India were determined to maintain pressure throughout the contest.
“That was in our mind because we saw in the last match that whichever batsman comes in, with the conditions that we have here, it is very easy for them to take the match to their side,” he said.
He added that the team wanted to avoid giving the visitors any opportunity to regain control.
“So that was in our mind even when we were losing wickets, we were saying that we would be ruthless thereon and we will not give them a single chance to come back,” Abhishek said.
Springer believed the West Indies could have made the chase more competitive, pointing to missed scoring opportunities and the pitch playing lower than expected. He also credited the Indian bowlers for adapting effectively to the conditions.
India’s 14-run win gave them a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series. Abhishek’s explosive innings once again highlighted the challenge opposition teams face when trying to contain the young Indian opener.