India opener Abishek Sharma effectively won the game on his own, by clubbing a monster 113 runs from just 38 balls, in a knock that contained 11 sixes and nine boundaries for a gargantuan strike rate of just over 297.<\/p>\n
India’s Abishek Sharma celebrates scoring his century against the Black Caps in Wellington. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
He and 15-year-old opening partner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (45 off 19) took New Zealand\u2019s attack apart for 133 runs in just 44 balls, and hammered the highest score in a power play by any nation at 118-0 after the first six overs. <\/p>\n
A lack of any kind of variation from New Zealand\u2019s fast bowlers in particular was punished, as India\u2019s openers made hay on the short boundaries in the capital.<\/p>\n
New Zealand\u2019s cause wasn\u2019t helped by captain Mitchell Santner (1-17), who didn\u2019t bring himself onto bowl until the ninth over at 156-1 to avoid bowling to the two left-handers, after also dropping Abishek on 92 from the 28th ball he faced \u2013 admittedly from a very difficult chance. <\/p>\n
Santner was the most economical bowler on either side, and the only one not to concede a boundary across both innings. Him aside, every Black Caps bowler was brutalised in the capital, with Kyle Jamieson\u2019s (2-41) economy rate of 13.50 runs per over the best on display after the skipper. <\/p>\n
At the very least, though, this one was over before midnight<\/a>. <\/p>\n New Zealand could be in for more hurt in the coming days too, after opener Finn Allen \u2013 one of the few Black Caps capable of matching India\u2019s batters \u2013 did not field to nurse an apparent groin injury. <\/p>\n But regardless of what batters the Black Caps can select for the final two matches in Auckland and Hamilton respectively, New Zealand could be forced to wait for the five-match One-Day International series to taste any success on India\u2019s tour. <\/p>\n Walking to the crease in the second over at 4-1, Mitchell was the backbone of New Zealand\u2019s total, as he recorded his highest score in T20 cricket for club or country.<\/p>\n Mitchell and Allen (40 off 24) took just 27 balls to raise a half-century partnership and added 86 runs in 43 balls together \u2013 48 of them coming in sixes. While Glenn Phillips came and went for a 14-ball 17 in his 100th T20 International, Mitchell carried on to pass 50 in 26 balls after the innings crossed 100 at halfway. <\/p>\n