India beat West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series
Shreyas Iyer praised India's bowlers for their execution, while Abhishek Sharma (69 off 30) and Ishan Kishan (37 off 18) starred with the bat
Shai Hope admitted West Indies needed better bowling execution and a stronger opening partnership ahead of the fourth T20I on October 14
India are one win away from clinching the five-match T20I series against the West Indies after securing a 14-run victory in the third match on Sunday.
Captain Shreyas Iyer credited the bowlers for delivering under pressure, while West Indies skipper Shai Hope admitted his side needed greater precision with the ball.
With India now leading the series 2-1, Iyer stressed the importance of maintaining an attacking mindset against a West Indies side capable of chasing down big totals. He said his players avoided complacency and remained committed to their plans.
"West Indies, you can never take them lightly. So, we had to make sure we never got complacent. These are high-scoring grounds but it's important to stick to our process and follow our routines and make sure we stay offensive," Iyer said during the post-match presentation.
The Indian captain also pointed to the confidence displayed by his bowlers, who responded to the challenge with conviction. According to Iyer, their clarity of thought and ability to execute their plans made the difference in a contest where the opposition remained a threat.
"It was wonderful because the bowlers were pretty confident with what they wanted to execute. The clarity was much more visible. They were decisive in their execution and when I was passing the ball to them, each and every bowler was up for the challenge and that's what you want," he said.
India's batting effort had laid the foundation for the win, with Abhishek Sharma smashing 69 off 30 balls. Ishan Kishan added further momentum with a 37-run knock from just 18 deliveries, while Prince Yadav chipped in with valuable runs towards the end.
Reflecting on the contributions from the top order and the late flourish, Iyer said, "Honestly, that was a phenomenal start. Abhishek doing what he does in the powerplay and Kishan coming in. He's been great in the last few months. Even Prince (Yadav) playing the cameo in the end, those were crucial runs."
For the visitors, the defeat highlighted areas that need attention ahead of the fourth T20I. Hope felt his bowlers had allowed India to score crucial boundaries and could have been more disciplined after winning the toss and choosing to field.
"So many things you can put your finger on. But cricket games have small margins. As a winning team, you can pick out defining moments. Probably with the ball, we could have executed better and we let a few boundaries through," Hope said.
Despite the result, the West Indies captain believed his team had done well to recover after India's opening partnership threatened to take the game away from them. He credited Roston for helping his side make inroads and pull things back.
"I believe that the way we came back into the game was quite commendable. From the outset, if you look at that partnership (Abhishek and Kishan), it was a very dangerous one. But we got some wickets with Roston, and we pulled it back," he said.
Hope also underlined the need for his team to build a stronger opening stand, although he stopped short of singling out individual batters for criticism.
"Yeah we have to find a good opening partnership to lay the platform but can't point your finger on one or two guys," he said.
Dew was another factor during the West Indies innings, with Hope observing that the ball began to move more towards the end of the chase. He nevertheless gave credit to India's bowlers for their execution, particularly their use of yorkers.
"It (dew) did play a part. We felt that towards the end of our innings, as the ball was starting to tail a bit more. But credit to the Indian bowlers. They bowled really well and showed us how to execute yorkers. Credit to them."
India will take on the West Indies in the fourth T20 International on Wednesday, October 14, at 7pm IST. With a 2-1 advantage, the hosts will have the opportunity to wrap up the series with a match to spare.
