Abhishek hits 35-ball ton as India hammer New Zealand

India sealed a 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand with a six-wicket win in the third match, according to BBC Sport. Abhishek Sharma hit a 35-ball century, with 113 runs from 38 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes. He was supported by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 45 from 19 balls. The opening pair's 133-run partnership in seven overs set a new record for international T20s. Abhishek's century was the fastest in full-member T20s, but he fell short of his record for India's fastest T20 hundred, which came off 30 balls against Afghanistan last month. The result gives India an unassailable lead in the series, which is followed by five one-day internationals and two Tests.

The match was set up by New Zealand's 198-3, with Daryl Mitchell scoring 89 from 52 balls and Finn Allen adding 40 off 25. However, India barely broke a sweat in their pursuit, with Abhishek and Sooryavanshi's partnership leaving the New Zealand bowlers struggling. Abhishek's knock was a highlight of the match, with Al Jazeera English describing it as 'one of the most destructive partnerships in T20I history'.

India captain Shreyas Iyer praised the opening pair's performance, saying 'Credit where it is due, the way they played was exceptional'. Abhishek attributed their success to the extra bounce on the pitch, saying 'When we were fielding, we saw there was some extra bounce. Vaibhav started off well, and we took the momentum from there'.

The result marks a significant win for India, with Al Jazeera English describing it as a 'series victory over New Zealand in Wellington'. The match was played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, with India winning the toss and electing to bowl. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh extracted prodigious seam from the pitch, beating the outside edge of New Zealand openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen.