Nagpur, Jan 22: Abhishek Sharma’s pyrotechnics followed a now familiar script with India out-batting New Zealand by 48 runs in the opening T20 International here on Wednesday.
Abhishek, who has made it a habit of lighting up the evenings in stadiums across the cricketing globe with his array of monstrous hits, smashed 84 off just 35 balls and was complemented well by Rinku Singh (44 not out off 20 balls) who applied the finishing touches in India’s commanding score of 238 for 7 on a Jamtha shirt-front.
In reply, Glenn Phillips (78 off 40 balls) did indulge in some scary hitting in company of Mark Chapman (39 off 24 balls) as they added 79 off just seven overs but scoreboard pressure was such that they were eventually buried under a deluge of runs.
New Zealand’s final reply was 190 for 7 with Varun Chakravarthy (2/37) again picking up crucial wickets while Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya provided initial breakthroughs.
In the past 12 months, one format where Indian team has looked unbeatable is the shortest one and the primary reason being the 25-year-old Abhishek, whose Key Responsibility Area (KRA) in the T20 national team is to leave the opposition bowlers scared as well as scarred.
On the day, the world’s top ranked T20I batter showed no mercy while making the Black Cap fielders look like mere bystanders with eight towering sixes and five fours.
Abhishek’s carefree hitting also helped his skipper Suryakumar Yadav (32 off 22 balls) get some runs although he was far from his best. But the young opener’s attack at all costs gave his skipper a chance to play himself in during a 99-run stand off 47 balls for the third wicket.
Towards the end, Rinku Singh (44 not out off 20 balls) got to play an innings of substance after a long time with India ending their 20 overs in fantastic fashion.
For someone who nowadays can hardly put a foot wrong, it took Abhishek exactly five deliveries to set his eye in against Jacob Duffy (2/27 in 4 overs) before the first of his eight maximums came out of the closet. It was a lofted six into the sight screen.
In between, Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8) wasted opportunities and when Abhishek got his chance next time, there was no looking back.
Abhishek’s USP is his tremendous bat-speed that he generates and New Zealand’s attack didn’t have any bowler of express pace to challenge the Punjab southpaw. The bat comes straight and gives him ample chance to create more scoring zones in-front of the square.
The deliveries from Kristian Clarke and Kyle Jamieson came at an ideal speed of early 130 clicks on a featherbed and balls sailed over the ropes.
Such was his six-hitting prowess that his first three boundaries came off spinner Glenn Phillips’ bowling after he had smashed four maximums.
At the other end, Suryakumar looked scratchy but two shots — a back-foot punch through covers off Duffy and a whiplashed six off Clarke behind square — did provide glimpses of a vintage Indian skipper. But in general, he is still far from his best.
A normally consistent Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner (1/37 in 3 overs) did try to slow things and got some partial success when Suryakumar was holed out at long-on, failing to get required the elevation.
Undeterred, Abhishek carried on with his mayhem although he was out in the very next over when leg-spinner Ish Sodhi just shortened the length of his leg-break a tad bit and Jamieson gobbled it with his giant palms.
Towards the end, Rinku got to face enough deliveries to make an impact as he clobbered Daryl Mitchell’s first and innings’ last over for 21 runs to take the team to an improbable total.
