Abhishek switches off before turning on the style

As Abhishek Sharma readied himself to tackle the press, one could not help but admire the glitter of his jewellery.

But even that did not come close to the spark which radiated off his effervescent strokeplay in the 14-run victory over the West Indies in the third T20I here on Sunday. For a change, the India opener opted to begin his eventful ride on first gear rather than going full throttle from ball one.

Abhishek, mindful that Roston Chase had had his number in the previous two duels, played the ball along the ground against the off-spinner and speedster Shamar Joseph in the opening part of the PowerPlay. The calm was followed by a storm, whose impact Windies could not survive until the 10th over.

The 26-year-old, known for treating bowlers with disdain, had to “respect” Chase and play a waiting game in order to be successful in the match.

“It (hitting mostly on the off-side) was not a deliberate plan. But I knew that they had a plan for me, so I had to play better than that. With the off-spinner bowling the first over, it was a battle between him and me. I gave him respect in the first over because he has been bowling really well in this series. My plan went really well,” Abhishek reflected on his approach during the 69-run knock.

For the marauding southpaw, opposition-specific pre-series training and “uncomfortable” sessions have been vital to stay on top of his game. “Preparation is really important if I want to continue playing like this and utilise the PowerPlay. It depends on the team and the bowlers I am going to face,” Abhishek said.

“I want to execute my plan really well and dominate as well. As an attacking batter, I have to be ready for all plans when facing world-class bowlers. I make myself uncomfortable in practice so that I am not surprised in a match,” he added.

Abhishek’s assault was so good that the Men in Maroon immediately switched to damage-limitation mode: he raced to his 14th T20I half-century off just 18 deliveries.

“He is a world-class player... kudos to him. We tried to be as defensive as possible and make him get singles and doubles rather than boundaries. It was a matter of trying to pull him back,” Shamar Springer admitted after being at the receiving end.

After all, for India, Abhishek is the gift that keeps on giving.