IND v ENG 2025: “As good as we've ever witnessed,” McCullum’s verdict on Abhishek Sharma’s 135-run knock in 5th T20I

Sharma took the English bowling attack to the cleaners at the Wankhede Stadium.

Abhishek Sharma | GettyYoung India batter Abhishek Sharma put on a show with the bat in the fifth and final T20I match against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (February 2).

Opening the innings, the southpaw took the English bowling attack to the cleaners. He reached his half-century off 17 balls – the second-fastest fifty for India in Men's T20Is.

Sharma continued his carnage and took another 20 deliveries to notch up his three-figure mark. His 37-ball ton happened to be the second-fastest hundred for India in the shortest format.

Abhishek Sharma’s whirlwind knock of 135 in 54 balls, including seven boundaries and 13 sixes, propelled the Men in Blue to a mammoth 247/9 in 20 overs. It proved to be too much for the visitors as India won the game by 150 runs to clinch the series 4-1.

After the match, England head coach Brendon McCullum admitted that the touring team had answers to Abhishek’s relentless assault. He praised the left-hander’s ability to dominate even the best of fast bowlers.

"First and foremost, the innings we saw from Abhishek is as good an innings as we've ever witnessed in T20 cricket. He's not just doing it against any attack, he's doing it against four guys who bowl 90mph and an absolute gun leg-spinner," McCullum said, as quoted by India Today.

"I'm very realistic that when I see someone come out of the telephone box and play an innings like that, sometimes you throw all the different plans you want at it but if he's hitting it like that, you really can't stop it. We've seen so many players over the years in this format that have been able to do it - Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, AB de Villiers - and maybe Abhishek Sharma is putting his hand up as one of those players," he added.

Coming to the match, England’s innings folded for a paltry 97 in 10.3 overs during the chase. Philip Salt (55) and Jacob Bethell (10) were the only two players who managed to reach double figures.

The two teams will now square off in three ODIs, starting on February 6 in Nagpur. The 50-over series will be the final dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 04 Feb, 2025

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