Indore: India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh offered a light-hearted apology to teammate Axar Patel after a mid-pitch mix-up led to the all-rounder's run-out during India’s 14-run victory over the West Indies at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday night.

“I would like to apologise to Axar bhai. Sorry, Axar bhai. I got you run out,” Arshdeep said in a video posted on bcci.tv on Monday.

Arshdeep, who hit a useful boundary late in the innings, revealed his personal drive to contribute down the order. “I keep trying in batting. The results are rare. But today, it just connected well. As much as the coaches trust us, we have to do it in batting as well and get a few runs down the order. So it is important to work like this in batting.”

The left-arm quick enjoyed a standout performance with the ball as India grabbed a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series. His evening was highlighted by the early dismissal of West Indies captain Shai Hope, who was castled in the second over attempting a wild slog. Arshdeep praised the team's meticulous preparation and inputs from the coaching staff that went into stopping the in-form batter.

“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 and that thing got executed,” Arshdeep explained.

The contest remained tightly poised while the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford was at the crease, but Arshdeep returned to castle him and subsequently dismissed Keemo Paul to seal the win. Defending a big total of 223, he credited the entire bowling unit for maintaining continuous pressure.

“I bowled very well. Mayank kept the pressure from the other end and all the six bowlers, all chipped in and bowled very well. It feels good when you get a little pressure for executing plans. So, it's good fun.”

Arshdeep also attributed his steady evolution on the international stage to the welcoming atmosphere within the squad and his ongoing commitment to expanding his skillset.

“In the dressing room, the environment is very chill. There is no one who behaves as if they have played more or less matches. The atmosphere is very chill.”

“I keep trying to learn about something and get in a different skill set. There is always that willingness to learn and improve my game and I feel if there is a hunger to learn, then I will keep improving my game and I keep trying that,” he concluded. (IANS)