'It was there in my mind that they had a plan against me…': Abhishek Sharma

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In the third T20I match against the West Indies, Team India secured a win by 14 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

During the match, Abhishek Sharma played a crucial knock of 69 runs, which came in just 30 balls. His knock was laced with six boundaries and five maximums.

Reflecting on his knock, the left-handed batsman said that he knew that the West Indies‘ bowlers had a plan against him and he wanted to play better than that.

“I wouldn’t say it was deliberate, but it was there in my mind that they had a plan against me. (With the) off-spinner bowling against me, it was just a battle between him and me. I gave him respect in the first over because he is bowling really well in this series, so it is just the plan that went pretty well for me as well,” he said.

“In the powerplay, I was trying to just get a few runs and they had a plan for me, and I had to play better than that,” added Abhishek.

During the match, he entertained the crowd by smashing five towering maximums. Speaking on the sixes, he said that it just plays the shots according to the field placement.

“I don’t think and play deliberately. It just happens when I see the field placement, whenever they have a field placement which allows me to just give myself room and play those shots,” said the 26-year-old cricketer.

IND vs WI 3rd T20I: Match summary

In an attempt to chase a target of 224 runs, the visitors managed to reach 209 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.

West Indies’ skipper Shai Hope was dismissed on five runs in five balls, including a boundary. Fellow opening batsman Kamil Pooran played a knock of 42 runs in 27 balls, including three boundaries and the same number of maximums. Shimron Hetmyer returned to the pavilion after delivering a knock of 43 runs in 26 balls. His knock was laced with six boundaries and two maximums. Rovman Powell managed to score five runs in seven balls.

Sherfane Rutherford smashed 32 runs in 20 balls, with the help of two boundaries and the same number of maximums. Quentin Sampson also scored 21 runs in 15 balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Keemo Paul was dismissed on 10 runs in six balls, including a maximum.

Shamar Springer and Roston Chase stayed unbeaten on 35 and five runs, respectively.

Team India’s Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of three wickets for 44 runs in four overs. Naman Dhir bagged two wickets, whereas Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one wicket each. Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav went wicketless in the third T20I match against the Caribbean side.

Earlier having been put to bat first, Team India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson departed after scoring three runs in six balls. Fellow opening batsman Abhishek Sharma garnered 69 runs off just 30 deliveries. His knock was laced with six boundaries and five maximums.

Ishan Kishan was dismissed on 37 runs in 18 balls, which included six boundaries and a maximum. Captain Shreyas Iyer also returned to the pavilion on one run which came in two balls.

Tilak Varma lost his wicket on 28 runs in 16 balls, which included four boundaries. Naman Dhir was also dismissed on 10 runs in five balls, which included a maximum. Nitish Kumar Reddy managed to score 21 in 14 balls, with the help of three boundaries. Facing 14 balls, Axar Patel registered 20 runs, with the help of two boundaries. Arshdeep Singh also scored 11 runs in eight balls, including a maximum, whereas Mayank Yadav was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Prince Yadav stayed unbeaten on 13 runs in six balls, including three boundaries. With this, the “Men in Blue” were bowled out for 223 runs in 20 overs.

West Indies’ Roston Chase, Shamar Joseph, and Shamar Springer bagged two wickets each. Keemo Paul and Gudakesh Motie also claimed one wicket each.

(With PTI Inputs)

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