The key facts

  • India won the T20 series against New Zealand with two matches to spare
  • Abhishek Sharma scored 113 off 38 balls, Suryavanshi made 45 off 19
  • The fourth match of the series will be held in Auckland on Friday

Victory in Wellington and the series sealed early

India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20 of the series in Wellington on Tuesday and secured the five-match series with two games to spare, AFP reports. The Indians chased down the target of 198 in just 13.2 overs.

A record-fast opening stand

The opening pair made the decisive contribution: Abhishek Sharma scored 113 off 38 balls (nine fours and 11 sixes), while Vaibhav Suryavanshi made 45 off 19 balls. Their partnership of 133 came in just 7.1 overs and, according to AFP, was one of the most destructive in T20 history. Jacob Duffy's first over cost 26 runs. By the time Sharma, who received a standing ovation, was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, India stood at 178-2 after 10 overs. India's captain Shreyas Iyer remarked: 'Scoring 100 in five overs — I have never seen that at international level.'

How the match unfolded for New Zealand

For the third time in a row in the series, India won the toss and again chose to field. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh got noticeable seam movement off the surface: Seifert top-edged out for two, then Daryl Mitchell and Finn Allen added 86 runs. Mitchell scored 89 off 52 balls (five fours and five sixes), Allen made 40 off 25, and Bevon Jacobs finished the innings unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls. The fourth match of the series will take place on Friday at Eden Park in Auckland.