India's southpaws pack a punch before ant attack

Abhishek scores a brisk fifty while Tilak doubles it up to become the youngest man to hit a T20I ton against top nations

- Rasesh Mandani

When in doubt, Indian batters prefer to go on the attack. It is the new way, the only way. The new India, after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma quit the T20 scene, are showing that they are ready to change the game.

In the third T20I on Wednesday at Centurion against South Africa, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma -- India's batting southpaws -- packed a punch and how.

Varma, who had been threatening to play a match-winning innings in the Indian Premier League, accomplished the feat on the big stage to become the second youngest Indian man, aged 22 years and 5 days, to score a hundred in T20Is. His 107 (56b, 8x4, 7x4) was a knock of rare class while Abhishek 50 (25b, 3x4, 5x6), who would match Travis Head shot for shot in the Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey, found form as well.

The 24-year-old Abhishek hasn't had favourable outcomes in international cricket, except for his hundred against Zimbabwe. He totaled 70 runs in nine other T20I outings before this match. But, one thing Abhishek has not deviated from all along is his show of intent. His strike rate was still 160. Here, he scored at an SR of 200.