India pacer Arshdeep Singh was quick to own up to a mistake after the third T20I against West Indies in Indore on Sunday, apologising to Axar Patel for a mix-up that cost the all-rounder his wicket.
It was a small blemish on an otherwise big night for Arshdeep, who starred with the ball as India won by 14 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Arshdeep bowled a good spell, taking three wickets for 44 runs in four overs. His economy rate was 11, but that was acceptable considering the match as a whole, in which both teams scored more than 200.
The Run-Out That Wasn't Meant To Be
The incident came on the first ball of the 19th over of India's innings, when Axar hit the ball to the right of the cover-point fielder, and Arshdeep persuaded him to take a single that simply wasn't there.
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The two got in a tangle in the middle, and Axar could not make it to the other end in time, leaving India without a proper batter at a crucial stage.
"I would like to apologise to Axar bhai. Sorry, Axar bhai. I got you run out," Arshdeep said in a video posted by BCCI.
Early Strike To Remove Shai Hope
Arshdeep more than made up for it with the ball at the Holkar Stadium. He struck in the second over, castling the in-form West Indies captain Shai Hope, who had gone for a wild slog.
Arshdeep said he felt really good about how the plan to remove Hope early came together. Dismissing a quality batter of his calibre, he explained, needed meticulous preparation and inputs from the coaching staff.
"Before the match, we had planned how to keep things tight to him and when you execute that plan in the match, it feels good when you get the result. I am grateful to the coaches for working through the plan, and they told me that I can use this in the match. That thing got executed," Arshdeep said.
Arshdeep Returns To Finish The Job
West Indies stayed in the contest for as long as the dangerous batter Sherfane Rutherford was at the crease. Arshdeep ended that threat as well, by bowling Rutherford out, and then removed Keemo Paul to seal the result in India's favour.
Arshdeep was generous in sharing the credit, saying the whole bowling attack had kept up sustained pressure while defending a big total of 223.
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"I bowled very well. Mayank kept the pressure from the other end, and all six bowlers chipped in and bowled very well. It feels good when you get a little pressure for executing plans. So, it's good fun," he concluded.
Both teams will now travel to Hyderabad, where the fourth T20I is scheduled to take place, and the Shreyas Iyer-led side will try to seal the series.
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