Wellington, October 27: Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 off 38 balls, with 11 sixes, as India chased down 199 in just 13.2 overs to beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I at Hnry Stadium. India won with 40 balls to spare, to go 3-0 up in the T20I series.
New Zealand had posted 198 for 3 after India won the toss and chose to bowl. Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 89 off 52 balls anchored the innings, but India's openers made the target look small.
A blistering opening stand
Abhishek and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put on 133 for the first wicket in only 7.1 overs. Sooryavanshi hit four fours and four sixes in a 19-ball 45 before he was caught by Mitchell off Matthew Fisher.
Abhishek kept going. His 113 came at a strike rate of 297.36, with nine fours to go with his 11 sixes, the highest score of the match. He took Kyle Jamieson for two sixes in the 10th over before he was caught by Glenn Phillips off the last ball of it, with India on 178 for 2 and needing only 21 more.
A late wobble, then the finish
Shreyas Iyer made 5 off 10 balls before Mitchell Santner had him caught by Phillips, and Jamieson bowled Sanju Samson for 18 at the start of the 14th over, leaving India 195 for 4. Naman Dhir settled it with a four off Jamieson, the first ball he faced. Tilak Varma was not out on 1.
Santner was the pick of New Zealand's bowlers with 1 for 17 from three overs. Jamieson took 2 for 45, and Fisher's single over cost 23 runs. Jacob Duffy (0 for 44 from two overs), Adam Milne (0 for 33) and Michael Bracewell (0 for 36) were all expensive, and New Zealand gave away 13 extras, including 10 wides and two no-balls.
New Zealand's innings
Arshdeep Singh removed Tim Seifert in the second over, but Finn Allen hit five sixes in a 25-ball 40 before Nitish Kumar Reddy had him caught by Naman Dhir. Glenn Phillips made 17 before Axar Patel took a return catch, and Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs (39 not out off 23) then added an unbroken 75 in eight overs.
Arshdeep (1 for 33), Axar (1 for 36) and Nitish (1 for 38) took a wicket each. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0 for 40) and Prince Yadav (0 for 44) went wicketless.
- New Zealand 198/3 (20 overs): Daryl Mitchell 89*, Finn Allen 40, Bevon Jacobs 39*; Arshdeep Singh 1/33, Axar Patel 1/36, Nitish Kumar Reddy 1/38
- India 199/4 (13.2 overs): Abhishek Sharma 113, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 45, Sanju Samson 18; Kyle Jamieson 2/45, Mitchell Santner 1/17, Matthew Fisher 1/23
- Result: India won by 6 wickets (with 40 balls remaining)