New Delhi: Erling Haaland often celebrates his goals by dropping into a meditative pose – cross-legged, wrists resting on his feet. In football, it is known as the ‘zen pose.’ How fitting that Abhishek Sharma chose the same celebration after producing the fastest T20I century by a batter from a Test-playing nation.
However, nothing even remotely tranquil preceded it. India defeated Afghanistan by a massive 127 runs and swept the series 3-0. It was credit to Abhishek who had spent the evening tormenting Afghanistan’s bowlers, tearing into them with such ferocity that by the time he sat down to meditate, serious damage was already done.
It was zen, Abhishek Sharma-style, in 30 balls.
By the end of the PowerPlay, Afghanistan’s bowling attack had been stripped of whatever life it had brought to the match. India had plundered 100 runs in the PowerPlay, with Abhishek batting at a strike rate of more than 340. The signs of something extraordinary had been there almost immediately. By the time he had faced just eight balls, it already felt as though his third T20I century could be on the cards.
The half-century came in the fourth over, off just 17 balls. It was the sixth time Abhishek had recorded fifty in fewer than 20 deliveries. The left-hander from Punjab has threatened his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s record for the fastest T20I fifty on at least three occasions.
Once, against England in Mumbai last year. Then, against New Zealand in Guwahati earlier this year, when he fell just one ball short of the record. And now, against Afghanistan, the signs were there again. Only this time, the fifty was merely the trailer, it was the hundred that was the big picture.
Abhishek raced past Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball record to produce the fastest century by a batter from a Test-playing nation in men’s T20Is.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, made the mistake of persisting with Mohammad Nabi in the PowerPlay despite the off-spinner having already proved uneconomical in the first two T20Is. Nabi’s fifth over disappeared for 29 runs, with Abhishek and Sanju Samson taking him apart for four sixes and a four.
Samson, who had produced a whirlwind of his own in the second T20I, had the best seat in the house at the other end. Not surprising, who would want to interrupt what Abhishek was doing after all?
By the end of the PowerPlay, Abhishek was already on 76 off 22 balls. Samson, by comparison, was playing second fiddle on 24 off 14. In the colossal 142-run opening partnership, Abhishek’s contribution was 108 runs.
Eventually, Rashid Khan provided Afghanistan with a breakthrough. In the leg-spinner’s second over, Abhishek went after a googly, looking to loft it over extra cover. Instead, he found an outside edge, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz completing the catch behind the stumps.
Samson then took over, bringing up his fifty in 34 balls. The rest of the line-up didn’t fire in exactly the same way. Shreyas Iyer mustered 29 off 20. That Afghanistan managed to restrict them to 221/7 is credit to the way they rallied after that. Rashid (1/43), Abdullah Ahmadzai (1/38) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/39) shored up defensive bowling and gave away only two boundaries in the last four overs.
Chasing 222 was a psychological blow in itself but with the bat, it was a familiar script for Afghanistan and a familiar crumbling under pressure. Gurbaz (15) finally opened his account in the series but the top-order still failed. Captain Ibrahim Zadran was the top-scorer with 25 off 16.
Axar Patel (2/9) took the wickets of Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal, ensuring the innings never really took off. Nitish Kumar Reddy (3/20) then delivered a decisive blow by picking up three wickets in an over, dismissing Mohammad Nabi (8), Azmatullah Omarzai (17) and Mujeeb Ur Rehman (0). Ravi Bishnoi (3/26) picked up the last wicket to wrap the Afghanistan innings for 94.
Brief scores: India 221/7 (A Sharma 108, S Samson 50, A Omarzai 2/27); Afghanistan 94 in 14.1 overs (I Zadran 25, A Omarzai 17, N K Reddy 3/25). India beat Afghanistan by 127 runs.