Abhishek Sharma dishes out power-hitting masterclass as India blow away New Zealand
The Men in Blue roared back to winning ways after going down against New Zealand in the ODI series as a thumping batting performance in the first T20I, backed by calculated show with the ball, propelled India to a 1-0 lead.
Winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bowl first. India had a couple of early hiccups to deal with as they lost Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8) in quick succession. However, a commanding knock from Abhishek Sharma effaced all fears of a collapse.
Sharma looked in cruise control and dealt predominantly in boundaries as India cruised forward. Joined by the Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav, the duo put up a solid stand of 99 runs from just 47 balls. Suryakumar (32) played second fiddle to Sharma’s relentless brilliance at the other end.
Once SKY fell to Mitchell Santner, Hardik Pandya stepped up to the task of carrying India forward. Pandya (25) kept the momentum ticking for the Men in Blue. When Sharma was finally removed by Ish Sodhi, he had already thumped 84 runs from just 35 balls. A knock that comprised five fours and eight sixes proved to be the bedrock of India’s dominion over the Blackcaps.
Despite losing a couple of quick wickets, Rinku Singh stayed unbeaten to propel India to a staggering 238/7. Singh smashed 44 off just 20 balls, clobbering four fours and three sixes during his short stay in the center.
Staring down a monumental total in the face, New Zealand needed a headstart. However, the Indian bowlers rocked them early as Arshdeep Singh got the better of Devon Conway (0) while Rachin Ravindra (1) fell to Hardik Pandya. Wobbling at 1/2, Tim Robinson (21) joined by Glenn Phillips hunkered down to the repairs.
The duo added 51 runs for the third wicket as Phillips looked in excellent nick. Varun Chakravarthy stepped up to rattle the partnership, removing Robinson. However, that did very little to dent the Kiwi spirits as they waged on the fight and Phillips found another strong stand through a partnership with Mark Chapman (39).
It was Hardik Pandya who finally got the better of Phillips for a 40-ball-78, thereby accentuating India’s chances of a victory. Once Phillips fell, from there, New Zealand’s chances of remaining alive in the game dimmed out even further. India restricted the visitors to 190/7, thereby securing a win by 48 runs. Abhishek Sharma was the Player of the Match for his incredible showdown with the bat.
