Wellington, Oct 27 (IANS) Abhishek Sharma credited “preparation” behind his masterful knock of 113 from 38 balls during the third T20I against New Zealand, which the Southpaw stated he “manifested” to play.
Abhishek slammed his 11th T20 hundred to help India hunt down 199 in just 13.2 overs as the Men in Blue took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
The Punjab batter and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (45 from 19 balls) scored a record 118 runs in the powerplay, which is now the most by any team in the world, to set up a brilliant platform for a six-wicket win.
Speaking after being adjudged Player of the Match, Abhishek opened up on his knock, his time with Sooryavanshi in the middle, preparation behind such knocks and also on a special message from his mentor, Yuvraj Singh.
“I think the key was pretty simple. It was just me and Vaibhav, just going to enjoy there for a bit, especially in the powerplay. And especially when we were fielding, we were observing the pitch a bit because of this extra bounce. But I feel the dimensions of the ground, we could use the powerplay, and we could use their pace as well. So that was the easy plan,” he told broadcasters after the game.
Wellington had different conditions as compared to Christchurch, with the venue being windy and having short square boundaries. Abhishek opened up on the backing he gets from the support staff and his preparation, saying, “I feel it’s not that, I wouldn’t say it’s that easy, but it’s just the preparation behind the scenes. Special mention to our coaches because of the sidearms; we’ve been playing them a lot.
“Preparation is really important as a batter. If you see the conditions and the dimensions, that’s always in your mind, and then you have to keep the bowlers also in your mind and play the shots according to the bowlers. And that’s all I do. We had a good practice session yesterday, and I just wanted to utilise it, and that’s what I did. And I feel I pretty much manifested this innings, and it happened,” he added.
The Southpaw hit a fifty off just 15 balls and a hundred from 35 balls, as Yuvraj Singh had a cheeky post for his student on social media. Yuvraj asked Abhishek to break his India record for the fastest T20I fifty, which came off just 12 balls during that ever-memorable six-sixes game against England in the T20 World Cup 2007. “You still can’t get 50 off 12, can you, Abhishek Sharma! Looks like two left-handers batting in their backyard!” Yuvraj wrote on X.
Abhishek was asked about the post, to which he hailed Yuvraj for having played such knocks in the past. “I’ve said this before as well. I don’t know what cricket he was playing back at that time, but it’s not that easy at all. And I would say if any batter wants to go there and bat like that, it’s not easy at all. You can’t just go and score 50 off 12 balls.
“It just happens once in a while. But, obviously, as a batter, we don’t go for that milestone. We always want to win the game for the team, me and especially Vaibhav. He’s here. So that was the plan, and that’s what we want to take throughout the series as well, and it went well,” he concluded.
Yuvraj later shared another post, where he hailed Abhishek for consistently smashing centuries in less than 40 balls. “And I can’t make 100 off 30 or 34 balls. Well played sir Abhishek Sharma! Great innings aur apne single bhi le liye. Good stuff on the other end by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi! Devastating combination! Hats off to Sanju Samson, playing at no. 3 as a complete team man! Well-bowled by our bowlers to keep the score under 200! Great series win. Congratulations, Team India,” he wrote in another post.
–IANS
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