An aggressive partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi propelled India to a six-wicket victory, sealing the Twenty20 International series against New Zealand with two games to spare in Wellington.

India chased down New Zealand’s challenging total of 198 in just 13.2 overs on Tuesday, as Abhishek blasted a phenomenal 113 runs and Sooryavanshi contributed 45. The opening pair’s blistering 133-run stand in a mere 7.1 overs completely dismantled the New Zealand bowling attack, going down as one of the most destructive partnerships in T20I history.

Jacob Duffy’s opening over leaked 26 runs, setting a relentless tone that the Indian openers maintained throughout their time at the crease. Abhishek struck nine fours and 11 sixes during his 38-ball onslaught, eventually departing to Kyle Jamieson amid a standing ovation from the crowd, by which point India had surged to 178-2 in 10 overs.

Reflecting on the performance, India captain Shreyas Iyer remarked that securing 100 runs in five overs was something he had never witnessed at the international level, praising the exceptional display of batsmanship. New Zealand put up a fight with Daryl Mitchell scoring 89 off 52 balls, but the target proved insufficient.

The fourth T20I of the series is scheduled to take place at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday, where the hosts will attempt to salvage pride against the dominant visitors.

Source: www.aljazeera.com