Last Updated on 1 hour ago by Charbel Coorey
Abhishek Sharma has sent another reminder of his world class talent, smashing 113 off 38 balls against New Zealand in Wellington. The opener made a mockery of the New Zealand bowling attack, with every member of the attack – except Mitchell Santner – going for well over 10 runs an over.
Abhishek combined with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (45 off 19 balls) for a remarkable opening stand off 133 off 43 balls. The pair brought up the hundred mark in five overs to leave Santner’s team shellshocked and staring at a certain series defeat.
That’s the way it transpired with India reaching the target of 199 with a whopping 40 balls to spare. Abhishek hit nine fours and 11 sixes in a scintillating stay, showing his ability to dominate attacks in overseas conditions as well.
The left-hander targeted the shorter square boundaries to perfection, with each of his 11 sixes coming square of the wicket. He hit six over the offside and five on the legside, with a remarkable ability to turn any length into one he can attack. He brought up his half-century off 15 balls and century off 35 balls.
“Key was pretty much simple – that me and Vaibhav enjoy our time,” Abhishek said after the match. “When we were fielding, we saw there was some extra bounce (and that we could target the shorter side).
“Huge shoutout to our coaching staff and our side-arm (bowlers). We had a good practice session yesterday and I just wanted to use it. I manifested this innings, and it happened.”
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner conceded that it is tough to stop India. The onslaught reminded him of the batting power seen in the Indian premier League (IPL).
“Tough to stop those guys. We have seen it in the IPL and witnessed it here tonight,” Santner said.
Reactions: Abhishek Sharma hammers 113 (38) as India seal series win
The dominant six-wicket win propelled India to an unassailable 3-0 series lead. That is some effort given they had such a short turnaround between their series against West Indies at home and this assignment in New Zealand.
Here are some of the reactions to a stunning knock.
