3rd T20I: Diwali comes early as Abhishek 113 helps India chase 199 in just 13.2 overs

Brief Scores: India (199 for 4 in 13.2 overs) beat New Zealand (198/3 in 20 overs) by 6 wickets to seal a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Scorecard | HighlightsDiwali, the festival of fireworks, arrived two weeks early in Wellington as India produced one of the most explosive displays of big-hitting in a T20I contest. Abhishek Sharma smashed a 38-ball 113 before teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blazed his way to 45 off just 19 deliveries as India chased down 199 in 13.2 overs on Tuesday. The batting blitz not only secured a commanding victory but also handed India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.The build-up to the third T20I in Wellington had been dominated by the gusty winds sweeping through the city. On the eve of the contest, India's players had struggled to cope with the conditions, finding it difficult to keep their hats and caps on during fielding practice as the wind threatened to sweep them away.But the gusts were nothing compared to the storm Abhishek and Sooryavanshi unleashed during the chase on Tuesday evening. India raced to 50 in just 2.2 overs, brought up their hundred in five overs and finished the powerplay with a staggering 118 runs, setting a world record for the highest team total in the first six overs of a men's T20I. Abhishek brought up his fourth T20I hundred with one of the most ruthless innings of his career, taking the attack to New Zealand's bowlers from the outset. None of the hosts' new-ball options were spared as Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne and Kyle Jamieson were all taken to the cleaners by the Indian openers. Sooryavanshi, promoted to open in place of Sanju Samson, matched his senior partner's aggression, turning the chase into a relentless assault that left New Zealand scrambling for answers.Abhishek reached his hundred in just 35 deliveries, five balls slower than his own world record for the fastest T20I century. He finished with 11 sixes and nine fours, sending the ball soaring into the Wellington evening and giving the crowd plenty to cheer about. The spectators who braved the biting cold and gusty conditions to watch a midweek evening contest were rewarded with a spectacular exhibition of power-hitting. - Ends