Gautam Gambhir must have been a happy man on Tuesday after India sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Abhishek Sharma smashed a blistering century off just 35 balls as India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday. The Indian opener struck a magnificent 113 off 38 balls, smashing 11 sixes and nine fours as India chased down New Zealand’s target of 199 in just 13.2 overs, with 40 balls to spare.
After the win, Gambhir had a two-word message: “Stay Humble,” he wrote on X.
New Zealand finally found a breakthrough in the eighth over when Matthew Fisher dismissed Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 off 19 balls, including four sixes and four boundaries. The respite was short-lived, though, as Sharma brought up his century off just 35 deliveries in the 10th over against Kyle Jamieson. Earlier in the match, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell hit a majestic half-century, along with useful contributions from Bevon Jacobs and Finn Allen , powering the Kiwis to 198/3 against India. Allen was removed by Nitish Kumar Reddy for 40 off 25 balls, laced with five fours. The 86-run stand between Allen and Mitchell laid the platform for the home side. With India leading the five-match series 2-0, New Zealand had needed a victory to keep their hopes of a series comeback alive, but the visitors sealed the contest with a comprehensive win.
The ninth over proved relatively quiet by comparison, with India failing to score more than six runs in an over for the first time in the innings.
