Bowlers will have to pull up their socks as another bat vs bat contest is most like when India take on West Indies at the Holkar Stadium in Indore in the third T20I on Sunday. The Holkar Stadium has been a batting paradise traditionally and if the recent forms of both teams are to go by, another 500-run contest won’t come as a surprise.
As many as 501 runs were scored in the second T20I in Ranchi with the West Indies scaling down India’s massive 250-run target with more than an over to spare. The flat decks and short boundaries would bring a smile to the batters of both camps. Execution across departments will be crucial.
India will also be wary of form at the top of the order as the West Indies captain has peeled off two centuries on this visit, displaying incredible form and skills to keep his team in contention against the home side’s batting might in their backyard.
For India, it would be another excellent test of finding solutions and execution with the ball, with dew also expected to play its part.
The Holkar Stadium in Indore have always assisted the batters, with 200 being the average first-innings score. Statistically, in six of the eight innings played at this venue, yielded scores of 170-plus. Only twice the teams failed to cross the 150-mark – Sri Lanka’s 142/9 in 2020 and India’s 144/3 in 2020. The boundaries are 56 metres square and 68 metres straight.
43-ball 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017 is the highest individual score on this ground. In the last competitive t20 fixture at this ground, Gujarat scored 251 against Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Tournament in 2024. There is no forecast of rain.
Star Sports Network is the official broadcasting partner of the India vs West Indies T20I series. The 3rd T20I will be telecast live on Star Sports Hindi and English SD and HD channels. Viewers can also also watch India vs West Indies 3rd T20I in Tamil, Telegu and Malaylam languages. Live streaming of India vs West Indies 3rd T20I will be available on JioStar app and website.
India have played West Indies 33 times in the shortest format, with the Men in Blue winning 21 games. West Indies won 11 matches, while one match ended in no result. On Indian soil, India have won 10 out of 13 matches played against the Caribbean side.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube/Nitish Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav
West Indies: Shai Hope (c & wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Springer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph
