The game never looked to be going till the final ball when India needed eight off the last two overs. But Keemo Paul and Fabian Allen stretched India to the full, till a misfield off the last ball earned them a six-wicket victory in the third and final T20I in Chennai on Sunday.
Achieving a 3-0 sweep, the team having ticked all the boxes has pleased captain Rohit Sharma, who feels winning more of such matches will instil further confidence in the players.
West Indies did reasonably well to reach 181 for three after winning the toss and opting to bat, riding Nicholas Pooran’s 53 not out. In reply, Shikhar Dhawan (92) and Rishabh Pant (58) stitched 130-run stand for the third wicket that made things smooth for India, till things became tighter in the last couple of overs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rohit said: “I’ve been part of games like these. They happen a lot, especially in the IPL. With Mumbai Indians, I have had quite a few games like the one today.
“Nonetheless, it’s been a great effort to cross the finish line. We spoke at the start of this game that we wanted to be ruthless and cannot take a backseat. This kind of a performance adds to your confidence.
“There were chances of us being complacent while turning up at the ground. So, we wanted to make sure there was no complacency on our part.
“Overall, we ticked a lot of boxes in this series, especially when it comes to fielding.”
What also impressed Rohit is the performance of those players who haven’t had much of international exposure. “A lot of these guys have not played much for India, so a home series like this was the perfect opportunity to show their talent.
“I was also very impressed with the fielding efforts in this series by the team,” he said.
Rohit, however, feels the team needs to improve on handling pressure situations while bowling. “As a team there is always scope for improvement. We need to improve on handling pressure situations while bowling.
“While bowling, you will come across times when batsmen put you under pressure. So, it is important then to stick to your strengths. These guys will learn that, especially when they play games like these. They will mature,” Rohit explained.
Top scorer Dhawan was adjudged the Man of the Match. For most of the limited-overs series, the left-hander struggled to get runs. But with barely eight days to go for the first T20I against Australia in Brisbane, these runs on a winning cause will certainly boost Dhawan, making him feel a lot better.
“I finally got a big score. Even in the last match, I was happy with the 43 I got… It doesn’t matter to me what people say, as I just back myself and my game.
“As for this match, we lost two early wickets and I told myself I had to stay till the end. I am really happy with how Rishabh played and it was also a tremendous partnership between the two of us,” said Dhawan.
