West Indies fall short; Bishop commends India’s yorker strategy

On 12 October, the Holkar Stadium in Indore hosted the third T20 International between India and the West Indies. India emerged victorious by 14 runs, extending their series lead to 2‑1 in a five‑match showdown.

Ian Bishop, the former West Indian fast bowler, lauded India’s bowling tactics, emphasizing the disciplined deployment of yorkers and wide‑line deliveries. He highlighted Arshdeep Singh’s role as the spearhead of the new‑ball attack, consistently targeting the batsmen’s stumps, while Naman Dhir provided valuable support by adjusting his lengths to the evolving conditions. Bishop noted that the absence of swing on the day actually benefited the Indian bowlers, allowing them to execute their plans without the need for corrective adjustments.

The return of Prince Yadav to the side also drew Bishop’s attention. Yadav’s capability to bowl precise yorkers in the final overs, combined with his ability to add crucial lower‑order runs, gave India an edge in the closing stages of the innings.

Bishop turned his focus to the batting side, praising Abhishek Sharma for his tactical patience against West Indian spinner Royston Chase. Rather than launching an immediate assault, Sharma took a few balls to gauge the spinner’s rhythm, then capitalized on the gaps in the field, especially through the cover area, to keep the scoreboard ticking. Bishop stressed that such situational awareness and intelligent shot selection are hallmarks of modern T20 batting.

In summary, Bishop asserted that while the series has largely been a batsmen’s contest, this match underscored the impact of a well‑executed bowling strategy. He expects the West Indies to learn from the experience, but gave full credit to India’s disciplined bowling unit for securing the win.