Team India beat West Indies comfortably by 7 wickets in the third T20I on Tuesday, August 8, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Courtesy of the win, they managed to stay alive in the series, with the series now standing 1-2.
West Indies batted first in the contest after winning the toss. Rovman Powell (40*) and Brandon King (42) played decent knocks to take their side to 159/5 in 20 overs.
After missing the last match due to a niggle, Kuldeep Yadav made a triumphant return in this contest by scalping three wickets, including the prized wicket of Nicholas Pooran, who has been in scintillating form.
In a tricky chase of 160, India did not make a desirable start. Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to be aggressive from the outset and perished for a two-ball duck on his T20I debut. Shubman Gill (6) also failed with the bat and returned to the pavilion without making a notable contribution.
Thereafter, Suryakumar Yadav (83 in 44 balls) played a blistering knock and put on an 87-run partnership with Tilak Varma to put India in the driver's seat in the must-win game. Following a couple of low scores, Suryakumar looked in imperious touch in this match as he smashed the bowlers all around the park.
Tilak Varma (49*) continued to impress with another mature innings. Hardik Pandya (20*) finished the match in style with a six in the 18th over to help India get off the mark in the five-match series.
Fans on social media enjoyed the one-sided encounter between the two sides in Guyana. They expressed their reactions to the game by sharing hilarious memes on social media platforms.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
We have a long-term plan and it's important that we show our character in these games: Team India captain Hardik Pandya
Speaking at the post-match presentation after the 3rd T20I, India captain Hardik Pandya reflected on the win, saying:
"We spoke about these three games will be exciting. It's important to maintain our tempo. At the end of the day, we have a long-term plan and it's important that we show our character in these games. There was no certain plan about them (spinners) bowling 12 overs.
"I thought I could use them early with Nicky not coming in early. Axar didn't bowl at all in the previous games, so he gave me a great option to rotate Yuzi and Kuldeep. It was also great to see how Arshdeep and Mukesh did."
The teams will square off in the fourth T20I of the series on Saturday, August 12, in Florida.
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