Nagpur, Jan 21 (.) A breathtaking assault from Abhishek Sharma, followed by a brutal finishing act from Rinku Singh, propelled India to a towering 238 for 7 against New Zealand in the first T20 International of the New Zealand tour of India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here on Wednesday.
Put in to bat after New Zealand won the toss, India suffered an early blow when Sanju Samson fell in the second over, flicking Kyle Jamieson straight to Rachin Ravindra after striking two boundaries. Abhishek immediately counter-attacked, launching Jacob Duffy straight down the ground for a six in the first over to set the tone.
Ishan Kishan looked fluent on his return to international cricket but perished for 8, mistiming a slower ball from Duffy to Mark Chapman.
With India two down inside three overs, Abhishek took complete control, repeatedly dismantling the New Zealand attack with fearless strokeplay. He pulled Jamieson disdainfully, picked slower balls early, and punished anything short or in the slot, bringing up his seventh T20I fifty off just 22 balls to the delight of the Nagpur crowd.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav provided solid support, driving and sweeping with authority, including a pick-up six off Kristian Clarke. The pair stitched together a crucial 99-run stand, during which Abhishek hammered Ish Sodhi for three successive boundaries and sixes, while Suryakumar found the fence regularly through the covers and mid-wicket.
The stand ended in the 11th over when Suryakumar, on 32, lofted Mitchell Santner straight to Tim Robinson at long-on.
Abhishek continued his onslaught, smashing Sodhi for consecutive sixes over mid-wicket and long-off, before holing out to Jamieson at long-on for a scintillating 84 off 35 balls, an innings studded with five fours and eight sixes.
Hardik Pandya (25 off 16) ensured the momentum did not drop, attacking Santner straight down the ground and over cover. Shivam Dube joined briefly, pulling Jamieson for six before gifting a soft caught-and-bowled chance to the tall pacer.
Hardik’s aggressive stay ended when Duffy’s slower off-cutter forced a mistimed pull, well caught by Chapman at deep mid-wicket.
Rinku Singh then produced a stunning cameo that completely deflated the New Zealand bowlers. He punished Jamieson’s slot balls with classical off-drives, swivelled Clarke over long leg, and saved his most destructive strokes for the penultimate over bowled by Daryl Mitchell.
Rinku walked at the bowler to loft him straight into the sightscreen for six, followed it with another slogged maximum, and then pulled two short balls for boundaries with fine leg up, exposing New Zealand’s defensive fields and lack of confidence to bowl wide yorkers.
Earlier, Arshdeep Singh (6 not out) chipped in with a lofted boundary off Duffy, while Axar Patel (5) fell trying to clear long-off, misjudging a slower delivery from Clarke and finding Mitchell near the rope. Rinku, however, remained unbeaten on a sparkling 44 off 20 balls, ensuring India plundered heavily in the final overs and finished just two short of 240.
For New Zealand, Duffy was the standout with 2 for 27, using his slower off-cutter effectively, while Jamieson claimed two wickets but conceded 54 runs. Santner, Sodhi and Clarke picked up one wicket apiece, all going at over 10 runs an over on a night dominated by India’s batting firepower.
Brief scores:
India 238 for 7 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 84, Rinku Singh 44 not out, Suryakumar Yadav 32; Jacob Duffy 2/27, Kyle Jamieson 2/54).
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