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The small ground and belter of a track at Arun Jaitley Stadium may have contributed to Abhishek Sharma’s swashbuckling, fastest T20 century by an Indian — but it was his relentless hitting, attacking everything within his reach, that was the real driving force behind his success.
Credit also goes to the hours he spent batting on astro-turf with plastic balls, which helped him develop the power to pack those punches. His bat flow, balance and perfect shape at the base make him a deadly player. There are no half-measures here. Playing with full flow and authority has become his trademark style.
Otherwise, no one can hit the ball quite the way Abhishek does.
Thursday was a special day, when he overtook AB de Villiers with utmost ease. Then came the familiar ‘Dhyan’ pose — something he often does while preparing for the big matches.
As long as Abhishek was batting, the Kotla pitch seemed to have nothing for the bowlers. But the moment he got out, it appeared as if the pitch had changed.
India looked on course to score over 300, powered by Abhishek’s breathtaking hitting, but lost their way almost immediately after his dismissal. Yes, the Afghanistan bowlers were wayward, but that alone does not explain the carnage. They offered loose balls, but Abhishek turned those opportunities into boundaries with extraordinary power, timing and intent.
What made the difference was not merely the bowling he received, but what he did with it. While others struggled to maintain the momentum, Abhishek had made the pitch look like a playground — and once he was gone, India suddenly looked like a different batting side.
