In the final stretch, Rinku Singh (44 not out off 20 balls) played a significant innings for the first time in a while, helping India finish their 20 overs on a high note.
For someone who can hardly miss these days, it took Abhishek just five balls to find his groove against Jacob Duffy (2/27 in 4 overs) before he launched his first of eight sixes into the stands. It was a lofted shot that cleared the sight screen.
In the meantime, Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8) squandered their chances, but when Abhishek returned to the crease, he never looked back.
Abhishek’s strength lies in his extraordinary bat speed, and New Zealand’s bowlers lacked express pace to test the Punjab southpaw. His bat path ensures he can create scoring opportunities straight and in front of the square.
The deliveries from Kristian Clarke and Kyle Jamieson arrived at a comfortable pace in the early 130s on a batting-friendly pitch, and the balls flew over the boundary.
Such was his six-hitting capability that his first three boundaries came off spinner Glenn Phillips’ bowling after he had already smashed four maximums.
At the other end, Suryakumar appeared a bit shaky, but he did manage two shots—one a back-foot punch through covers off Duffy and another a stunning six off Clarke behind square—that hinted at the brilliance of a seasoned captain. However, he was generally not at his best.
A typically reliable Black Caps captain, Mitchell Santner (1/37 in 3 overs), tried to apply brakes and found some partial success when Suryakumar was caught at long-on, unable to get the necessary elevation.
Unfazed, Abhishek continued his onslaught but was dismissed in the very next over when leg-spinner Ish Sodhi adjusted his length slightly on a leg-break, and Jamieson seized the opportunity with his large hands.
In the closing moments, Rinku was given enough balls to make a difference, smashing Daryl Mitchell’s first and the innings’ last over for 21 runs, propelling the team to an extraordinary total.
