Gambhir looks for answers from India's bowlers as the T20I series moves to Indore

India's bowlers arrive in Indore under scrutiny after conceding the second-highest successful chase in men's T20I cricket, with the five-match series level at 1-1

India meet West Indies in the third T20I at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday, two days after a total of 249 for 5 failed to win them a match in Ranchi. West Indies answered with 252 for 4 in 18.3 overs, winning by six wickets with nine balls to spare and levelling a series India had opened by winning in Lucknow.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was blunt about where the match was lost. "We need to find a way to try and stop the opposition," he said afterwards. "Obviously it was tough. But again, credit to West Indies, the way Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope batted."

The venue offers little obvious comfort: across four men's T20Is at Indore, the side batting first has averaged 200.

A chase that rewrote the record book

Shai Hope was unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford made 84 off 37. Their fourth-wicket stand was worth 120 from 54 deliveries.

Romario Shepherd, promoted to No. 5, finished it with 34 not out from 13 balls, and West Indies had taken 72 from the powerplay despite losing three wickets in it.

It was West Indies' highest successful chase in men's T20Is, and the second-highest by any side in the format, behind only South Africa's 259 for 4 against the same opponents at Centurion in 2023.

India's 249 for 5 was their highest T20I total against West Indies, and it was not enough.

India's bowling under the microscope

The night began well. Mayank Yadav removed Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer off consecutive deliveries in the first over and finished with 3-36.

After that the margins vanished. Kuldeep Yadav conceded 53 runs for his single wicket, Arshdeep Singh went for 45 in four overs, and Axar Patel was taken for 63 in 3.3.

Captain Shreyas Iyer described a surface that punished anything short of exact. "The margin of error on this wicket was very minor. Any minor error was going into the stands," he said.

Gambhir indicated the review would not be a gentle one. "You don't shrug off any defeat," he said. "If you want to keep improving, you don't want to put anything under the carpet."

What Indore has offered

Across those four T20Is the first innings has averaged 200 and the second 167, with two wins for the side batting first and two for the side chasing.

The ground record is India's 260 for 5 against Sri Lanka in 2017, built on Rohit Sharma's 118 from 43 balls. South Africa's 227 for 3 in 2022, with Rilee Rossouw unbeaten on 100, is the next highest.

The largest total chased down there remains India's 173 for 4 against Afghanistan in 2024, reached in 15.4 overs.

Square boundaries of roughly 56 metres leave bowlers little margin, and the forecast for Sunday evening is clear and close to 31C.

What India can change

The 15-man squad gives Iyer room. Mayank Yadav returned to it after missing the T20I series against Afghanistan, and Kuldeep Yadav and Prince Yadav were recalled to strengthen the attack, with Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy so far unused.

The batting has not been the problem. Iyer made 100 not out off 42 balls to settle the opener in Lucknow, where West Indies were bowled out for 171 and India replied with 172 for 2 in 14.4 overs.

In Ranchi, Sanju Samson scored 82 off 41 and Ishan Kishan 43 off 22, before Iyer and Tilak Varma added 83 from 33 balls at the death.

West Indies settled, with one finger to watch

Hope's side is expected to keep the combination that won in Ranchi, and the captain's own form is the clearest reason why.

The one open question is Jewel Andrew, who hurt a finger taking a catch in the third ODI in New Chandigarh. Scans showed no fracture, he remains under observation, and Amir Jangoo was added to the squad as cover.

West Indies have rebuilt this tour around the chase. They tracked down 352 in that same New Chandigarh ODI, their highest successful chase in the format, before doing it again in a different one in Ranchi.

The third T20I starts at 7pm IST on Sunday, with the series moving to Hyderabad on 14 October and finishing in Bengaluru on 17 October.

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