Guwahati: Abhishek Sharma produced a breathtaking 12-ball fifty while skipper Suryakumar Yadav continued his sublime touch with another attacking half-century as India waltzed through the chase in just 10 overs to seal an eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the third T20I, sealing the five-match series 3-0 here on Sunday. Chasing a modest 154, India turned the contest into a one-sided exhibition of power-hitting with Abhishek remaining unbeaten on a blistering 68 off 20 balls (7x4, 5x6) and Suryakumar smashing an equally fluent 57 not out off 26 deliveries (6x4, 3x6).
The duo stitched together an unbroken 102-run stand for the third wicket in just 40 balls to finish the game with 60 deliveries to spare.
Earlier, wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi marked his return with a superb spell alongside the seasoned duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya as India strangled New Zealand with disciplined bowling to restrict them to an under-par 153/9.
Abhishek’s assault was particularly stunning as the left-hander raced to a 12-ball fifty -- the second fastest by an Indian in T20Is, just two balls slower than his mentor Yuvraj Singh -- as he dismantled the New Zealand attack with fearless intent. India, however, had an early hiccup as Sanju Samson’s struggles at the top continued as he was dismissed for a golden duck. Matt Henry’s first delivery brushing the thigh pad before crashing into the off-stump. Samson’s scores in the series now read 10, 6 and 0, putting further pressure on his spot with Ishan Kishan making a strong case with his explosive batting. If that setback worried the hosts, Abhishek and Ishan quickly erased them.
Ishan, fresh from his match-winning 76 in Raipur, launched Henry for two sixes and a four in a single over, showcasing his imperious pull and lofted drives. Abhishek, who had fallen for a duck in the previous game, soon joined the carnage, dancing down the track to hammer Jacob Duffy and collecting 16 runs in an over.
India’s powerplay score swelled to 94/2 -- their second-best ever, just one short of the 95 they had posted against England -- effectively putting the result beyond doubt.