India held their nerve in a thrilling contest to beat the West Indies by 14 runs in Indore, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series.

Asked to bat first, India made a flying start as Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan put together a 108-run opening partnership. Abhishek reached his fifty in just 18 balls and went on to smash 69 from 30 deliveries, including six fours and five sixes.

After Abhishek’s departure, Ishan Kishan contributed 37, while Tilak Varma scored 28 and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 21. Axar Patel’s 20 and an unbeaten 13 from Prince Yadav helped India reach 223 before being bowled out.

Chasing 224, West Indies suffered an early setback when captain Shai Hope, who had scored a century in the previous match, was dismissed for just five.

The visitors, however, remained in the contest thanks to cameos from Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Pooran scored 42, while Hetmyer added 43 as West Indies pushed India all the way.

West Indies had successfully chased down 250 in the previous match, and they came close to another big chase this time as well. But India’s bowlers held their nerve at the crucial moments to secure a 14-run victory.

The win gives India a 2-1 advantage in the five-match series, with the remaining games set to determine the final outcome.