IND vs WI, 3rd T20I: Arshdeep strikes early, removes in-form captain Shai Hope

Welcome back for West Indies' reply with the bat. The Men in Blue form a huddle before dispersing to take their respective fielding positions. Shai Hope, the centurion from the previous game, strides out with Kamil Pooran to open for West Indies. Mayank Yadav has the new ball and is raring to go. Hope is on strike with a slip in place. Here we go again...

Easy chase? West Indies chased down 250 in the previous game, and with that adrenaline still coursing through their veins, they will fancy their chances of getting 224 here. From an Indian perspective, though, there is plenty to prove. Their bowlers fell short of their plans in that last outing, and defending a total of this size is the perfect chance to put things right. They have gone with one extra pacer to tackle the dew factor. With the festive season just beginning in India, the first innings has already delivered plenty of fireworks, and now it is time to see how the second half plays out. Back shortly with the chase.

Quick word from the star Indian opener - Abhishek Sharma feels they have put up a good total, although, given the way they started, he believes they could have added another 15 to 20 runs. Nevertheless, he considers 223 a really good score. He adds that it is not easy to hit straight on this surface, and the batters have passed on feedback to the bowlers about the lengths that were difficult to attack. Abhishek feels they have enough experience in their bowling attack to handle these conditions. Speaking about his battle with Roston Chase, he acknowledges that Chase is a class bowler and says he had to be patient, waiting for the right ball to put away.

A messy finish - India were forced into yet another rebuild as the tourists kept picking up wickets through the middle phase, slowing the hosts down considerably. Tilak and Reddy tried to put together a recovery partnership, but Paul put an end to it, and the boundaries dried up towards the back end. India then compounded matters with a few errors of their own, with a couple of run outs, including those of Tilak and Axar, arriving at exactly the wrong time. But a quick cameo from Prince in the end helped India push past 220.

Fireworks followed by a fightback - The only time the West Indies bowlers got any respite in the Powerplay was with India being 11/1 in 2 overs, starting watchfully after losing Samson early doors. After that, normal service resumed, with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan unleashing mayhem on the attack and tearing it apart in dismissive fashion. Abhishek smashed a fifty in just 18 balls, and in the process became the quickest to 2000 T20I runs. The tourists staged a strong comeback, though, with Chase returning to the attack to break the 108-run stand, accounting for both Kishan and Shreyas in the same over. Abhishek fell soon after, with Dhir following suit, as India slipped from 115/1 to 135/5, leaving two fresh batters at the crease.

Entertainment at its very best - Time to catch our breath, shall we? What a topsy-turvy first innings here in Indore. It is indeed a rare sight to see a side feel even a touch disappointed after posting 223. India would feel they could have posted even more with the way they were going about it in the first half. But credit to the West Indies bowling attack, which hunted as a pack and kept picking up wickets at regular intervals, never letting the hosts settle into a perfect finish. Three boundaries in the final over, though, would have lifted the mood in the Indian camp slightly.