Delhi: In the third match of the five-match T20 International series against New Zealand played at the Wellington ground, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma created a stir on the field with his explosive batting. In this match, he played a brilliant inning of 113 runs in just 38 balls. This was the fourth century of his T20I career. With this, India easily achieved the target of 199 runs and took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
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Century in 35 balls, bowlers were blown away
Abhishek Sharma maintained pressure on New Zealand's bowlers from the beginning. He completed his half-century in just 15 balls and scored a century in 35 balls. His innings included 11 sixes. The left-handed batsman made the match completely one-sided by scoring runs at a strike rate of 297.37.
However, Sharma could not break former legend Yuvraj Singh's record of scoring a half-century in 12 balls. He took 15 balls to reach this feat. Not only this, India set a new record for T20 matches among Test playing countries by scoring 118 runs in the powerplay.
Record partnership with Vaibhav
Abhishek Sharma got excellent support from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Both added 133 runs for the first wicket in just 7.1 overs. Vaibhav scored 45 runs on 19 balls. His aggressive batting did not give New Zealand a chance to make a comeback. India achieved the target with 40 balls remaining.
Daryl Mitchell's innings went in vain
Earlier, New Zealand had scored 198 runs. Daryl Mitchell scored unbeaten 89 runs on 52 balls and took the team to a strong score. His innings included five sixes and five fours.
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At the same time, Nitish Reddy controlled the pace of New Zealand by taking important wickets. Indian bowlers adopted good strategy even in the last overs. Although Mitchell's innings was impressive, all New Zealand's hard work proved to be in vain in front of Abhishek Sharma's stormy century.
FAQ
How did Abhishek Sharma destroy New Zealand's bowlers?
Abhishek Sharma scored 113 runs in just 38 balls, hit 11 sixes and made the match one-sided by scoring a century in 35 balls.
In how many balls did Abhishek Sharma complete his century?
He completed his century in just 35 balls and scored his half-century in just 15 balls.
What did India achieve after Abhishek Sharma's stormy century?
By winning the third T20, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series against New Zealand.