Indore, Oct 13:
India pacer Arshdeep Singh said the team’s strategy to contain West Indies captain Shai Hope worked to perfection as India secured a 14-run victory in the third T20 International on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Arshdeep played a crucial role with three wickets, dismissing Hope for five and Sherfane Rutherford for 32. India successfully defended its total of 223, recovering from the disappointment of the previous match in Ranchi, where Hope scored a century and Rutherford smashed 84 off 37 balls to help West Indies complete a record chase of 250.
Arshdeep returned figures of 3 for 44 in his four overs and credited the coaching staff for helping the bowlers devise a strategy against Hope. He said the bowlers executed the plan well, with Mayank Yadav applying pressure from the other end. Mayank went wicketless but conceded only 34 runs in his four overs.
The left-arm pacer also praised the relaxed atmosphere in the Indian dressing room, saying players were encouraged to learn from one another irrespective of experience or seniority. He stressed the importance of continuously improving different aspects of his game.
Arshdeep contributed 11 runs with the bat, including a six, as India finished strongly. He also acknowledged his role in Axar Patel’s run-out and said he wanted to contribute more with the bat whenever opportunities arose.