India secured a commanding T20 series lead against New Zealand with an emphatic eight-wicket victory in Guwahati. The highlight of the match was India opener Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 14-ball half-century, which set the tone for a dominant run chase.
Chasing a target of 154, the 25-year-old Abhishek remained unbeaten on 68 runs off just 20 balls. He found strong support from captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored an unbeaten 57 from 26 deliveries. India reached their target with a whopping 10 overs to spare, sealing a 3-0 lead in the five-match series and putting the hosts in a commanding position.
New Zealand posted 153 for 9 in their 20 overs after being put into bat. Glenn Phillips was the top scorer for the visitors with a measured 48 runs off 40 balls. The rest of the batting lineup struggled to build partnerships against disciplined Indian bowling.
India’s bowling attack was led by fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was outstanding with figures of 3 wickets for 17 runs. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi contributed by taking two wickets each, successfully containing New Zealand’s batting.
The Indian innings had a dramatic start as Sanju Samson was dismissed for a duck by New Zealand seamer Matt Henry on the very first ball. However, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan quickly stabilized the innings with a brisk partnership of 53 runs off just 19 balls. Kishan fell for 28 runs off 13 deliveries, caught by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.
Abhishek escalated his assault after Kishan’s dismissal, reaching his half-century with a six on the final ball of the powerplay. His 14-ball fifty is one of the fastest in men’s T20 internationals, with only six players, including Indian legend Yuvraj Singh in 2007, achieving the milestone quicker.
In total, Abhishek smashed seven fours and five sixes. Suryakumar Yadav matched the aggressive intent with six fours and three sixes during his unbeaten knock, finishing the match with consecutive boundaries to steer India home.
This victory not only gave India a significant psychological edge in the series but also served as a strong response following their defeat in the preceding one-day international series against New Zealand. The hosts are now favorites to defend their T20 World Cup crown when the tournament starts in February.
The fourth T20 international is scheduled to take place in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. India will look to maintain their momentum and possibly clinch the series early with another commanding performance.
Read more at: www.bbc.com
