NEW DELHI: Opening India batter Abhishek Sharma finally roared back to form with a blistering fifty in the third T20I against South Africa in Centurion on Wednesday.
The left-hander came out firing on all cylinders, attacking the South African bowlers with ease during his explosive 50 off just 25 balls, which included five sixes and three fours.
In an attempt to hit big, Abhishek Sharma charged down the track to spinner Keshav Maharaj but missed the ball and was stumped by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen.
Since his century against Zimbabwe in Harare in July, Abhishek has played in eight T20I matches but has failed to exceed the 20-run mark in any of them.
In total, he has managed just 70 runs, including three single-digit scores. Despite being given the responsibility of opening the batting, he has struggled to provide India with the solid starts they require from their top order.
In the first T20I, Abhishek could only manage 7 runs, followed by a mere 4 in the second match in Gqeberha. His dismissals in both innings were strikingly similar.
Abhishek fell victim to bouncers from Gerald Coetzee, who set him up with short balls that the young left-hander attempted to attack but ended up getting trapped. These dismissals highlighted Abhishek’s tendency to play impulsive and rash shots under pressure.