Abhishek Sharma read West Indies' plan and responded with 30-ball 69 in third T20I

India opener Abhishek Sharma said he anticipated West Indies' strategy before producing a 30-ball 69 in the third T20I, a knock that helped India to a 14-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

West Indies opened with off-spinner Roston Chase and packed the off side, forcing Sharma to alter his scoring approach; he said the opposition's plan was on his mind. “I wouldn't say it was deliberate, but it was there in my mind that they had a plan against me,” Abhishek said. “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.” He struck six fours and five sixes and said his shot selection came from reading the field rather than targeting a single area.

India posted 223 and then restricted West Indies to 209 for seven, with Sharma's 69 and a 108-run partnership with Ishan Kishan laying the platform for the win. Arshdeep Singh took three wickets as India defended the total, while Sharma's late-innings aggression helped shift momentum during the powerplay.

Sharma cautioned against underestimating West Indies' capacity to fight back and referenced Shamar Springer's late hitting as an example of that threat. “West Indies is such a team that you can never say that the match is now on our side,” Abhishek said. “We were saying that we would be ruthless thereon and we will not give them a single chance to come back.”

On India’s bowling and young players, Sharma backed Naman Dhir after his 2/39 and drew on personal experience: he said he had watched Dhir bowl since their Under-14 days. “You have to just tell him the plan; probably a bowler doesn't think too much at that moment when he has got hit for two sixes back-to-back,” Abhishek said.

Sharma also described his rapport with Kishan, noting their familiarity from shared IPL partnerships and his effort to keep Kishan relaxed at the crease so both could enjoy their time batting. He reiterated the role of preparation in executing an aggressive powerplay approach and tailoring plans to the opposition and expected bowlers. “The preparation is really important,” Abhishek said. “If I just utilise the powerplay and if I want to continue doing that, the preparation really matters.”

India will attempt to seal the series in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 14, with the match scheduled to begin at 7 PM IST; the fifth and final T20I is set for October 17 in Bengaluru.