India beat West Indies by 14 runs at Indore – India 223 all out to West Indies 209/7

West Indies’ choice to bowl also reflected the way the second match turned on conditions and momentum. In Ranchi on 9 October, the visitors stormed to 209/7 in 20 overs to win by six wickets with nine balls remaining after India posted 223 all out.

A series shaped by big chases

Friday’s Ranchi contest was a boundary-filled night that left India searching for answers with the ball. Shai Hope’s unbeaten 102 off 45 balls anchored the chase and earned him player-of-the-match honours, while Sherfane Rutherford’s 84 off 37 kept the asking rate under control. Romario Shepherd finished it off with 34 not out from 13 balls, an innings that included three fours and three sixes.

The chase was framed as the second-highest successful pursuit in men’s T20 internationals, behind South Africa’s 259/4 against West Indies in Centurion in 2023. One match report also carried an internal inconsistency, stating West Indies ended on 253/4 despite listing 209/7 elsewhere; the 209/7 total was the scoreline shown across match results.

India’s batting in Ranchi had been heavy on power and cameos. Sanju Samson struck 82 from 41 balls, Ishan Kishan 43 from 22, Shreyas Iyer 40 from 18 and Tilak Varma 44 from 18 as the hosts surged to 223 all out.

After that loss, India head coach Gautam Gambhir said the side had to confront its inability to close out games even after making early inroads. “We need to find a way to try and stop the opposition…,” he said, and added: “You don’t shrug off any defeat…”

Sunday’s Indore match has brought changes for India. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav were drafted in, with reports saying they replaced Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav. West Indies, meanwhile, brought in Keemo Paul for Akeal Hosein, according to reports.

Officials for the Indore match were listed as Jayaraman Madanagopal and Virender Sharma as on-field umpires, with Nitin Menon also named among the officials.

What comes next

With the third T20I under way, the series has moved into a decisive stretch, with two matches still to come after Indore.

The next fixture is scheduled for 14 October at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, followed by the fifth T20I on 17 October at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Both matches are listed to start at 8:30 AM.

India’s immediate task in Indore is to turn a brisk start into a total that gives its bowlers room to operate, especially after conceding 252 in Ranchi. For West Indies, the plan is familiar: use the chase-friendly conditions they anticipated at the toss, keep India in check early, and back their hitters to do the rest.