IND vs NZ 3rd T20I: Abhishek Sharma 113 Seals 3-0 Series Win

October 27: There was never much doubt about this one. Abhishek Sharma hit a thunderous 113 off just 38 balls, and India raced past New Zealand’s 198 for 3 in only 13.2 overs to win the third T20I by six wickets and take the series 3-0.

A chase that was over in the Powerplay and a bit more

New Zealand had put 198 on the board, and it was meant to be a stiff target. India, who chose to bowl first after winning the toss, made it look easy.

Abhishek and Vaibhav Suryavanshi started so fast that the required rate stopped mattering. The pair put on 133 for the first wicket in 7.1 overs. Suryavanshi gave them the early momentum, hitting 45 off 19 balls with four fours and four sixes, before he was caught off Matthew Fisher.

Abhishek then took over completely. When the opening stand ended, he had 80 off 25 balls, and he went on to reach 113 off 38, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes at a strike rate close to 300. He was caught off Kyle Jamieson in the tenth over, with India needing only a handful more to win.

A late wobble and a quick finish

India lost some wickets after that, but the result was never in danger. Sanju Samson made 18 before being bowled by Jamieson, and Shreyas Iyer, who made 5, was caught off Mitchell Santner. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir were at the crease at the end, and Dhir sealed the chase with a boundary.

New Zealand’s bowlers had a night to forget. Jacob Duffy conceded 44 runs in two overs, including five wides. Michael Bracewell went for 36 in two overs, and Adam Milne for 33 in two. Jamieson was the pick with two wickets, though he too was expensive.

New Zealand’s innings

The hosts had made a good start of their own. After Tim Seifert fell cheaply for 2, caught off Arshdeep Singh, Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell added 86 for the second wicket. Allen made 40 off 25 balls with five sixes before Nitish Kumar Reddy had him caught.

Mitchell was the backbone, finishing unbeaten on 89 off 52 balls, with five fours and five sixes. He was helped late on by Bevon Jacobs, who struck 39 not out off 23 balls, and the pair added 75 for the fourth wicket in the last eight overs or so. Glenn Phillips made 17 before Axar Patel removed him.

India’s bowlers were expensive too. Arshdeep took 1 for 33, Axar 1 for 36 and Nitish Reddy 1 for 38, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for 40 and Prince Yadav for 44. Their poor figures made little difference in the end.

The numbers

New Zealand: 198/3 in 20 overs (Mitchell 89*, Allen 40, Jacobs 39*)
India: 199/4 in 13.2 overs (Abhishek Sharma 113, Suryavanshi 45)
Result: India won by six wickets, with 40 balls remaining
Series: India lead 3-0

What it means

For India, the win is a statement of how aggressively their young batting group is playing, with an opening pair that can finish a chase within the Powerplay and beyond. For New Zealand, Mitchell’s innings was a consolation, but their attack struggled against hitters of this calibre.

What next

The series, which runs from October 22 to November 1, still has matches to come. India will look to complete a clean sweep, while New Zealand will need to find answers in the bowling.