India defend a total for the first time on the tour as the dew stays away in Indore

India's bowlers protected a first-innings total for the first time on this tour, holding West Indies to 209 for 7 in Indore after the chasing side had won each of the five matches before it

India's 14-run win in the third T20I at the Holkar Cricket Stadium was the first time on this tour that a side batting first finished on the right side of the result. Three ODIs and the opening two T20Is had all gone the way of the team chasing.

Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bowl. India made 223 and then defended it, something five previous attempts on the tour had failed to do.

What changed in Indore was partly what was absent. The heavy dew that soaked the ball in Ranchi never arrived, and India's seamers had a dry ball to grip at the death.

What Ranchi had taught them

Three days earlier India had posted 249 for 5 in the second T20I and still lost. Kuldeep Yadav took 4-53, but Axar Patel went for 63 from 3.3 overs and Arshdeep Singh conceded 45 in his four without taking a wicket.

Shreyas Iyer said after that defeat that dew "plays a massive role" on such nights, with a wet ball skidding on and slower balls losing their bite.

Indore offered a similar surface and inviting straight boundaries, but a dry evening.

A seamer for a spinner

India changed the shape of the attack to suit it, bringing in Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy for Kuldeep and Shivam Dube — an extra seamer in place of a wrist-spinner.

"Given the dimensions, we made those changes and we also needed someone who can hit the yorkers," Iyer said.

Not every card came off. Prince finished wicketless from his four overs and Mayank Yadav was taken for 34 from four, but the yorkers landed in the over that settled the match.

Wickets through the middle

West Indies were 54 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, Shimron Hetmyer having been dropped on 5.

Naman Dhir broke the innings open with a slower ball that bowled Hetmyer for 43 from 26 balls, then had Kamil Pooran caught for 42 from 27. Both had looked set.

Reddy's wide yorker pushed Quentin Sampson to the off side, where Tilak Varma held the catch in the deep, one of two he took. Dhir finished with 2-39.

The 18th over

West Indies reached 176 for 7 after 18 overs and needed 48 from 12 balls. Arshdeep bowled that over, yorking Sherfane Rutherford for 32 and having Keemo Paul caught.

His 3-44 earned him the player-of-the-match award. "It was wonderful because the bowlers were pretty confident with what they wanted to execute," Iyer said, adding that "each and every bowler was up for the challenge and that's what you want".

The margin narrowed at the last. Shamar Springer hit 35 not out from 11 balls and Axar was taken for 22 in the final over, West Indies adding 33 from the last two without losing a wicket.

Hyderabad and Bengaluru to come

Both remaining grounds are expected to favour batters, which leaves India's attack little margin even with a 2-1 lead to protect.

"These are high-scoring grounds but it's important to stick to our process and follow our routines," Iyer said.

The fourth T20I is at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 14 October, with the series ending in Bengaluru on 17 October.

Scorecard: India 223 (20 overs; Abhishek Sharma 69, Ishan Kishan 37) beat West Indies 209 for 7 (20 overs; Shimron Hetmyer 43, Kamil Pooran 42, Shamar Springer 35*; Arshdeep Singh 3-44, Naman Dhir 2-39) by 14 runs.

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