NZ vs IND

11:32 PM local time (4:02 PM IST): The Wellington chapter of this T20 series has given India the series! Abhishek Sharma, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for company, were simply sensational for the visitors! Now, with two games left if the series, the action moves to Eden Park in Auckland. The first ball of the 4th T20I will be bowled at 8:00 PM local time (12:30 PM IST). Will India win that match too and be in contention of a clean sweep, or will New Zealand get one back to salvage some pride? We'll find out on Friday. For now, this is the pair of Sourabh and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Shreyas Iyer (India captain): "Well when Sanju (Samson) and I were out there, with the ball seaming around, we were wondering how did they bat like that! Coming overseas, you know that you will be challenged. But the start the openers gave today, it showed just how good they have been. We still have two games to go. We need to keep everything up to standard. We realized quickly that yorkers will work. We executed our plan of restricting them to under 200."

Mitchell Santner (New Zealand captain): "I mean, it's pretty tough to stop those guys when they get going. We've seen that in the IPL, and now, here in New Zealand. 200 was nice, it was a good score. They bowled well, executed their yorkers. But they came out and showed us how to bat. Guys have batted well, different guys have stepped up. I thought that there will be a bit of nibble off the seam for the quicks, so, I didn't bring myself on. But, we'll have to adapt quickly for Eden Park, where we know that scores can rocket!" 

Of course Abhishek Sharma is the Player of the Match for his ridiculous century, let's hear from him: (what was the key tonight?) I think the key was pretty simple. It was just me and Vaibhav enjoying a bit, specially in the powerplay. When we were fielding, we observed the pitch. We wanted to use the dimensions, specially in the powerplay. (importance of the coaching staff and the license given) I wouldn't say it is that easy but preparation is the key. Special mention to our coaches, we face the side arms a lot in practice. You always have the dimensions in your mind and then have the bowlers in your mind and play shots according to that. Had a good practice session yesterday and wanted to utilize it. I pretty much manifested this innings. 

(message from Yuvraj Singh that Abhishek still hasn't managed a 12-ball fifty) I have said this before as well, I don't know what cricket he was playing back at that time. If any batter can go and score like that, it is not easy, 50 off 12 balls. We do not look to play for milestones, just look to enjoy ourselves in the middle.

11:08 PM local time (3:38 PM IST): India win by 6 wickets with 40 balls to spare, and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match series! 

Abhishek Sharma 113 (38) | Arshdeep Singh - 1/33 (4)
Daryl Mitchell 89* (52) | Kyle Jamieson - 2/45 (3.2)

Yes, we did think that New Zealand fell a few runs short. But India finishing it off in 13.2 overs meant that they actually fell close to 75 runs short! A score of 190-plus got chased with such ease, that it might make you think there was dew on a flat pitch. But actually, the kind of batting on display from the two left-handed opening bats, simply took all of our breath away! 

Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, decided to bring himself into the attack when the train left the station, but apart from than, they can't really think of making too many changes! Because the batting from Abhishek Sharma in particular, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, made more than light work of this run chase! 

If it was short, it got smashed off the back foot. If it was wide, it got carved over point. It it was pitched up, it was smoked over the top. If it was straight, it got picked up over deep mid-wicket. If it was pace on, it got used. If it was pace off, it got enjoyed! That's how Abhishek and Vaibhav batted. 

The fast bowlers kept bowling, and the ball simply kept flying! There was no mercy shown. Michael Bracewell came on early, but nothing changed. The opening bats were in a different mood tonight! 

Vaibhav did his bit, batting at the top of the order tonight, but Abhishek was at an all new level here! He made batting look super-easy! Fours and sixes were coming at will from his bat. There was no stopping him. 

Both sides of the wicket were targeted by Abhishek, and all types of bowling were taken to the cleaners. He was as clinical with his stroke-play as it could get! 

A well-deserved hundred of course, and, a knock of high quality in the 2nd innings! The latter will serve him well immensely! 

There was a bit more time taken by India to finish it off, losing a couple of wickets. But the inevitable came about and India sealed a tremendous away series, with two games still left! 

13.2 Kyle Jamieson to Naman Dhir, a streaky outside edge for FOUR for Naman Dhir who hits the winning runs again and India have made an absolute mockery of this target of 199! Pitched up outside off, Naman has a look at the front foot drive and the ball catches the outside edge beofre running away to the third man fence giving no one any chance whatsoever. India go 3-0 up with two matches to go, the series is theirs after this blitzkrieg in Wellington and Auckland, Hamilton now await a potential clean sweep!

13.1 Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, BOWLED! India losing a coiple of wickets towards the end and delaying the inevitable. Maybe New Zealand can draw some solace of the last few minutes' play. Yorker length delivery at the stump, Samson backs away to carve it through the off side, misses and loses his castle.

12.6 Mitchell Santner to Sanju Samson, slow, hangs it up on a length, at the stumps, Samson moves across and punches it out to deep cover for one. 1/17 in 3 overs for Mitch Santner with the innings going at 15 RPO, begs the question even more

12.5 Mitchell Santner to Tilak Varma, fires it in outside off with the angle, Tilak hangs back and gets an outside edge which is misfielded by Duffy at short third allowing a run to be taken