India registered a thumping 48-run win in the first IND vs NZ T20I of the five-match series, courtesy of a scintillating half-century from the bat of Abhishek Sharma.
IND vs NZ: The Knock
Put in to bat first after losing the toss, India lost the wickets of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the powerplay and were in a spot of bother.
But as has been the case with Abhishek Sharma since his debut in international cricket, the left-hander kept on attacking and didn’t let the pressure get to him and Suryakumar Yadav, who came into the match in desperate need of runs.
The duo added 99 runs for the third wicket, with Abhishek notching up another half-century with five fours and eight sixes before getting out in an attempt to clear the boundary for the ninth time in the match.
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IND vs NZ: The Praise
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav heaped praise on Abhishek for his match-winning knock in the post-match press conference of the IND vs NZ T20I in Nagpur.
Surya was impressed by Abhishek’s work ethic and his discipline off the field, which, according to him, translates to such performances during the game.
In the words of Surya, “I mean, the way he prepares, I mean, it’s not just how he bats in the games, but the way he prepares himself, the way he carries himself, when he’s in the hotel, in the team bus. I think all those things, small small things, it reflects on the ground and he is enjoying those fruits of that,” he said.
IND vs NZ: The Record
The hard-hitting left-hander became the fastest batter to score 5000 runs in T20 cricket in terms of balls faced during his innings and went past Andre Russell, Tim David, Will Jacks and Glenn Maxwell.
IND vs NZ: The Assessment
When asked about his own performance, the right-hander said that he was satisfied with the way he batted, given that the team was under a bit of pressure, and it was the perfect time for him to go out in the middle, as he has the experience of playing in such situations
Surya also said that he felt confident about scoring runs in this match, as he has been batting well in the nets.
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IND vs NZ: Captain’s Corner
In the words of Surya, “I mean, I felt good when I went into bat. It was the perfect time for me to go into bat. Good pressure situation. I’ve been batting in that situation. And as I said earlier as well, I’ve been batting really well in the nets. It was just a matter of time when you play a few balls, bat the way I bat. And that doesn’t change my identity.
I think it came naturally. I mean, whatever strokes I played, I’ve been practising really well in the last 2-3 weeks. I’m at it similarly during the net session. Played a few practice games as well. So I was feeling good.”