Inspired bowling and a 14-ball fifty by opener Abhishek Sharma led India to a crushing eight-wicket series-clinching win over New Zealand in the third T20 international on Sunday.

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah with figures of 3-17 and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2-18) kept New Zealand down to 153-9 after India elected to field first in Guwahati.

Left-handed Abhishek then hit an unbeaten 20-ball 68 and skipper Suryakumar Yadav made 57 not out as India romped home with 10 overs to spare to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

The series is a warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

Matt Henry bowled Sanju Samson with the first ball of India#39;s chase but the hosts soon took charge with Ishan Kishan and fellow left-hander Abhishek hitting a flurry of fours and sixes.

The pair put on 53 runs off 19 balls before Kishan fell for 28 off Ish Sodhi, but Abhishek raced to India#39;s second fastest in the format.

Abhishek missed out on his mentor Yuvraj Singh#39;s fastest T20 fifty record for India by two balls. Yuvraj scored a fifty in 12 balls in 2007.

Abhishek kept up the attack with Suryakumar, who hit his second successive fifty in his 26-ball knock.

India#39;s bowlers set up victory with the pacers taking three wickets inside first six overs including Harshit Rana dismissing Devon Conway for the fifth time in successive white-ball matches.

Rachin Ravindra fell for four to Hardik Pandya. Bumrah then bowled wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert for 12 as New Zealand slumped to 34-3.

Glenn Phillips, who made 48 off 40 balls, and attempted to pull things back in a partnership of 54 for the fourth wicket with Mark Chapmanbefore Bishnoi broke through.

Bishnoi, who made the Indian XI after nearly a year, had Chapman caught behind for 32 and later denied Phillips a half-century.

Wickets kept tumbling and despite skipper Mitchell Santner#39;s 27 off 17 balls New Zealand fell well short of a testing total.

The fourth match is on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam.