India Faces Spin Test Against West Indies in Indore

India will need greater control from its spin attack when it faces West Indies in the third T20I at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, after Axar Patel, Naman Dhir and Kuldeep Yadav conceded 141 runs in 9.3 overs in Ranchi. The challenge is particularly significant at a venue with shorter boundaries, where loose deliveries can quickly produce runs.

According to the match figures from Ranchi, Kuldeep took one wicket while Axar and Dhir went wicketless. Their combined return contrasted sharply with West Indies spinner Roston Chase, who finished with 3/24 in four overs despite bowling on a surface that yielded more than 500 runs.

Chase troubled India's batters by varying his pace, line and length rather than depending on substantial turn. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma with a shorter delivery, Ishan Kishan with a length ball that skidded through, and Shivam Dube with a flatter delivery recorded at 92.7 kph that stayed low.

Shai Hope credited Chase's economical spell with helping West Indies remain competitive during the high-scoring contest. Hope said the conditions made bowling difficult, highlighting the value of conceding only six runs per over.

"On a surface and a field like this, to go out at six runs an over is unbelievable," Hope said after the game.

Hope also explained how Chase's control affected West Indies' position in the match.

"So he really kept us in the game. It was very difficult conditions to bowl on, so the way he bowled and kept us in the game made it a lot easier for us to chase that score," Hope said.

India's figures showed how difficult the conditions were for the home side's spin attack. Axar conceded 63 runs in 3.3 overs without taking a wicket, while Kuldeep gave away 53 runs in four overs and dismissed Sherfane Rutherford to break a 120-run partnership with Hope. Dhir conceded 25 runs in two overs without a wicket.

Axar initially found some control, recording two consecutive dot balls in his opening over, but Hope punished deliveries that offered scoring opportunities. The West Indies batter hit a short ball over mid-on, pulled another delivery for six and later dispatched a full toss down leg for another maximum.

Dhir conceded seven runs in his first over before his second cost 18. Hope struck a floated delivery outside off for six over long-off, and Rutherford followed with a four and a six. Kuldeep also struggled late in his spell, conceding 24 runs in his final over as Hope and Romario Shepherd attacked.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the bowlers after the match, emphasizing the difficulty of bowling on flat pitches with dew. He also said the team wanted conditions that produced a more balanced contest between bat and ball.

"You don't want a good bat-and-ball competition? What you want to see, that's also what we want to see. We also want to see an even contest," Gambhir said.

Gambhir stressed that the bowlers had earned their places in the team and deserved support while working through difficult conditions.

"These bowlers are our bowlers, not someone else's bowlers. Their careers are at stake; they have worked hard to sit in this dressing room. If it's an even competition, we'll see a better game of cricket," he said.

He acknowledged the demands created by the pitch and weather conditions while identifying the need to limit West Indies' scoring.

"These are tough conditions to bowl. We know that flat wickets with the dew, obviously, it's tough. But we need to figure out the way…to try and stop the opposition," Gambhir added.

Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak inspected the Indore pitch on Saturday ahead of Sunday's third T20I. With Holkar Stadium's shorter boundaries presenting another challenge, India's spinners will need to maintain consistent lines and lengths against the West Indies batting lineup.