Wellington: Abhishek Sharma smashed a blistering century off just 35 balls as India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I of the five-match series at Wellington on Tuesday, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
The Indian opener struck a magnificent 113 off 38 balls, smashing 11 sixes and nine fours as India chased down New Zealand’s target of 199 in just 13.2 overs, with 40 balls to spare.
Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave India an explosive start, plundering 26 runs off the opening over bowled by Jacob Duffy. The duo added 17 runs in the second over and 21 in the third as India raced to 64 without loss in just three overs.
The assault continued in the following overs, with India scoring 20 runs in the fourth, 16 in the fifth and 18 in the sixth to reach a staggering 118 without loss at the end of the Powerplay. Sharma brought up his half-century off just 15 balls.
New Zealand finally found a breakthrough in the eighth over when Matthew Fisher dismissed Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 off 19 balls, including four sixes and four boundaries.
However, Sharma continued his onslaught alongside Sanju Samson, smashing two sixes and a boundary in the same over to take India to 156/1 after eight overs.
The ninth over proved relatively quiet by comparison, with India failing to score more than six runs in an over for the first time in the innings. The respite was short-lived, though, as Sharma brought up his century off just 35 deliveries in the 10th over against Kyle Jamieson.
Sharma continued to attack, hitting two boundaries and a six in the following over before Jamieson eventually dismissed him for 113 off 38 balls.
India were 178/2 after 10 overs and appeared firmly on course for a comfortable victory. However, the chase witnessed a late wobble as Shreyas Iyer and Samson fell towards the end. India nevertheless crossed the finish line in 13.2 overs to seal the win by six wickets.
It was a difficult outing for New Zealand’s bowlers, none of whom conceded at a rate below 12 runs per over. Jamieson claimed two wickets, while Fisher and Mitchell Santner picked up one each.
Earlier in the match, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell hit a majestic half-century, along with decent contributions from Bevon Jacobs and Finn Allen, powering Kiwis to 198/3 against India.
Daryl Mitchell smashed 89 off 52 deliveries, while Bevon Jacobs contributed a brisk 39 off 23 balls. The duo stitched together a crucial 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping New Zealand post a competitive total.Asked to bat first, New Zealand suffered an early setback as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert for just two runs. However, Mitchell and Allen steadied the innings, helping the hosts recover from the early loss.
Mitchell adopted an aggressive approach, taking on the Indian bowlers, while Allen played the anchor role, rotating the strike effectively and finding the boundaries at regular intervals.
Allen was removed by Nitish Reddy for 40 off 25 balls, laced with 5 massive sixes. The 86-run stand between Allen and Mitchell set the platform up for the home side.
Glenn Phillips joined Mitchell in the middle following the departure of Allen. Playing his 100th T20I match, Phillips did not have a good outing as he was removed by Axar Patel in the 12th over for 17.
From there, Mitchell and Jacobs took charge, guiding the hosts towards a competitive total of 198. New Zealand were well placed at 100/2 at the halfway mark, but India staged a strong comeback in the latter half of the innings, restricting the scoring rate and preventing the hosts from breaching the 200-run mark.
For India, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up a wicket each. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s difficult return to international cricket continued, with the veteran seamer once again going wicketless.With India leading the five-match series 2-0, New Zealand will look to restrict the visitors and secure a victory to keep their hopes of a series comeback alive.