In the third T20I of the series, West Indies captain Shai Hope chose to bowl first, a decision aligning with the current trend of chasing sides dominating this tour. So far, teams batting second have consistently emerged victorious across all five matches.
India, adapting to the small boundaries in Indore, opted for two changes in their lineup. Prince Yadav replaced Kuldeep Yadav, addressing the need for a more pacific alteration given the less spinner-friendly conditions. Additionally, Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped in for Shivam Dube, a straightforward swap between the two all-rounders. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains unused on the bench.
West Indies also made strategic changes due to Romario Shepherd’s inability to complete his spell in the previous match, though he did take part in batting. Quentin Sampson comes in for Shepherd, while Keemo Paul, a seam-bowling all-rounder, replaces spinner Akeal Hosein.
Discussing the team lineup, Shreyas Iyer, India’s captain, commented, “We’re constantly making adjustments to tackle different conditions, and today is no different. These changes bring a dynamic balance to our side.”
The teams are set as follows:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt.), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
West Indies: Shai Hope (capt. & wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Keemo Paul, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
As the match unfolds, both teams aim to exploit their new configurations effectively.
