Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Abhishek Sharma's ability to hit sixes is a product of hours of planning and practice that has left New Zealand in shock and awe.
The opener blasted a 20-ball 68 not out, including a 14-ball fifty with five sixes, to help India chase down a 154-run target and win the five-match T20I series with two matches to spare.
New Zealand have found it difficult counter the top-ranked Sharma's bold hitting approach as he smashed a 35-ball 84 in the series opener.
"To be honest, their batting has been dynamic and explosive," batter Mark Chapman said after the third T20I on Sunday.
"I haven't seen much of him play in person. But his six-hitting ability is second to none. Just the way he goes about it, he seems like he's really putting some thought into his batting.
"Obviously he's playing some really good cricket at the moment. That's just the nature of T20 cricket. When someone's playing really well, they can be hard to stop at times.
"There's a lot for us to look at and review. In all three facets, we can definitely improve," Chapman said.
While a series defeat isn't an ideal preparation for the T20 World Cup that starts on February 7, Chapman felt playing in India where the mega tournament will be held helped them to understand what is required to excel in the tournament.
"We're going to have to look at getting some bigger scores. The surfaces have been really good, but we're well aware that not every surface in India is an absolute belter. There will be times when the ball turns, so we've got to be ready for everything," he said.
"From our point of view, there's no better preparation for a World Cup than facing one of the best T20 teams in the world. It's great to see the way they're going about their business, so hopefully we can learn one or two things off them."
The Black Caps begin their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan in Chennai on February 8 and want to increase their scoring rate in powerplays, which they couldn’t do in the ongoing series.
"It's disappointing today not to get as many, but having said that, we've got batters throughout the order who are capable of clearing the ropes," Chapman said.
"Yeah, obviously it's not ideal losing a couple of early wickets in the power play. But you also have to give credit where it's due. I thought the Indians bowled really well. They tied us down and we just weren't able to get the ball away, unfortunately."
