Kuldeep Yadav has picked up a total of 50 T20I wickets. (AP News)
The fate turned once again the other way round as Rovman Powell won the toss, and West Indies opted to bat first in the third T20I confrontation at Guyana's Providence Stadium. West Indies made a sole alteration to their lineup, introducing Roston Chase in place of Jason Holder.
Conversely, India substituted Ravi Bishnoi with Kuldeep Yadav, and Yashasvi Jaiswal made his debut, stepping in for Ishan Kishan. India had faced a close call in the preceding ODI series against the West Indies and a loss in this contest would signify India's inaugural bilateral T20I series defeat since 2021, when a young Indian team led by Dasun Shanaka led Sri Lanka to a 2-1 triumph in the three-game series.
As the game proceeded, Kyle Mayers and Brandon King built a strong 50-run opening partnership for the West Indies. During the initial Powerplay, the West Indies batters capitalized on Hardik Pandya's decision to introduce spinners, accumulating 38 runs. However, Axar Patel's spell led to the dismissal of Kyle Mayers, and he provided the team with a much-needed breakthrough.
Following Mayers dismissal, Johnson Charles came out to bat at No.3. His outing was cut short by Kuldeep Yadav's full-length delivery in the 10th over itself. Charles opted to kneel down on one knee and failed to connect with the slog sweep, which led to the ball hitting his front pad. The umpire initially declined the lbw appeal, but India decided to challenge the decision by requesting a review. To the naked eye, the decision appeared to be out, and upon reviewing the ball tracking, it was confirmed that the ball was indeed out.
India's review turned out to be excellent, although the umpiring decision was questionable at best. With this successful review, India secured two wickets. All eyes were on Nicholas Pooran as he walked in at number 4. But the 15th over was a game-changing, as Yadav picked up two crucial wickets. He sent Nicky P and Brandon King back to the pavilion.
While, it wasn't a good day for Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh as they failed to pick up a single wicket, Mukesh Kumar's use in the death overs proved beneficial for the team as he picked up his first wicket on his first ball. Subsequently, his fine deliveries and perfect yorkers restricted Powell from going berserk with the bat and barred the Windies from going beyond 160 runs.
If Rovman Powell's squad succeeds in securing a victory in this match, they will establish an unassailable 3-0 lead and clinch their first T20I series victory against India since 2016 – the same year when the West Indies seized their second T20I world championship. India needs to bat well in this do-or-die match.
Brief Scores
West Indies- 159 (20 overs)
Brandon King- 42 (42), Rovman Powell - 40 (19)
Kuldeep Yadav- 3/28, Mukesh Kumar- 1/19
India needs 160 runs to win!!
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