113: Abhishek's record-smashing blitz ends series in 13 overs

Abhishek Sharma struck 113 in 39 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes, to help India win the fourth Twenty20 International in Wellington. The total of 198 set by New Zealand fell to the opening pair in just 13.2 overs. India secured the five-match series on Tuesday, ending the contest with two games still to play.

The opening partnership between Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced 133 runs in 7.1 overs. Jacob Duffy bowled the first over, which yielded 26 runs, and the pressure on the New Zealand attack never eased. Sharma fell to Kyle Jamieson, but by the time he was out, India had already reached 178 for the loss of two wickets in 10 overs. Sooryavanshi added 45 from 19 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes.

Sharma was promoted to open after batting at number three in the previous match. He credited the conditions for the rapid scoring. "The key was pretty simple: Vaibhav and I enjoyed our time," Sharma said. He noted that the team observed extra bounce during fielding. "Vaibhav started off well, and we took the momentum from there," he added.

Captain Shreyas Iyer praised the openers' performance. "Getting 100 in five overs, I have not seen that before at the international level," Iyer said. He described their play as exceptional. India won the toss for the third consecutive match and chose to bowl.

New Zealand's innings was built on a strong middle order response after early wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh found seam movement that troubled the top of the order. Tim Seifert top-edged Arshdeep Singh for two runs. Finn Allen made 40 from 25 balls before being dismissed.

Daryl Mitchell and Allen formed an 86-run partnership. Mitchell moved around the crease to counter the seam movement and struck short balls into the short square boundaries. He finished with 89 from 52 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes. Bevon Jacobs provided stability with an unbeaten 39 from 23 deliveries, helping New Zealand close out their innings.

The series concludes in Auckland. The fifth and final match is scheduled for Friday at Eden Park.