India, Oct. 27 -- When India's first wicket fell - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a 19-ball 45 - the match was already over. Just 66 more runs were needed off 77 balls. Chasing 199, India had raced to 133 in 7.1 overs at a jaw-dropping run rate of 18.56, having scored at 20 runs an over around the five-over mark. Such was the destruction. Abhishek Sharma's breathtaking 113 then sealed the deal, handing India an unassailable 3-0 lead with a breezy six-wicket win and 40 balls to spare, after the opener had served up a six-hitting spectacle.

For all the records that tumbled in the T20Is against West Indies at home, the belief was that the New Zealand series, irrespective of the small grounds, would offer a leveller. The balance between bat and ba...