Looking back at India-New Zealand ODI history

After annihilating the Kiwis 3-0, it is time for India to take on the visitors in a five-match one-day international (ODI) series starting on October 16. The first match of the game will be held at Dharamsala. However, to speak of the ODI rivalry between India and New Zealand, the latter haven’t done as poorly as in the Tests.

In fact, the reigning World Cup finalists (final was the only match they had lost in the last mega event) are a far better side in the limited-over format and are currently ranked third in the ODI rankings – a place better than India, also a formidable one-day side. The two sides have a very close rivalry in ODI with India having a 46-41 lead over New Zealand in 93 matches played since 1975. One game has been tied while five have been inconclusive.

The two teams have dominated each other when it came to bilateral series in the recent past. While India whitewashed the Kiwis 5-0 in a home series in 2010/11 under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy, the latter trounced MS Dhoni’s men 4-0 in a five-game series in 2013/14. The two haven’t played each other since that series in New Zealand.

In the last World Cup played Down Under, both India and New Zealand had cent per cent winning records till the eventual champions Australia ruined them – for India in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final.

Also read- IND v NZ, 1st ODI Preview: Faltering Kiwis look to draw first blood on tour

Here we take a look at various records related to India-NZ ODI rivalry. First, the team records:

First wins:

India, who were a struggling side in the early years of their ODI journey, took five years to win their first game versus NZ when they beat them by 5 runs in Perth, Australia, in 1980. The Kiwis, however, had already won four games by them. NZ had won nine of the first 11 matches played against India but India turned the table by winning 13 of the next 15 games played between 1985 and 1988 (including 11 consecutive wins).

Highest totals:

India’s highest score against New Zealand is 392/4 in 50 overs in Christchurch in 2008-9. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar got retired hurt for 163 in that match. For NZ, the highest total is 349/9 in 50 overs in Rajkot in 1999. Thus, these two teams love to score on each other’s soil.

Lowest totals:

The Asians were skittled out for 88 in 29.3 overs in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, in a tri-series match in 2010. This is the only below-100 total that a team has posted ever in the history of India-NZ ODI competition. The New Zealanders’ lowest score is 103 in 27 overs in Chennai the same year.

Largest victories: 

The match in which MS Dhoni’s depleted batting line-up had crumbled for 88 saw the Kiwis earning their heaviest victory over India (by 200 runs). India’s biggest victory has been by 174 runs in Hyderabad. Tendulkar, who was the Indian captain in that match, had slammed an unbeaten 186 while Rahul Dravid had accompanied him with a well-crafted 153.

In terms of wickets, NZ had thrashed India by 10 wickets way back in a game in Melbourne in 1981, India have earned two 9-wicket victories over the Kiwis in Nagpur and Baroda in 1987 and 2010, respectively.

Narrowest victories:

India had stolen victory by a solitary run in Wellington in 1990, thanks to Manoj Prabhakar’s sharp bowling. For New Zealand, the closest win came in Hamilton in 2014 as they stopped India 14 runs short of their own score.

It was also in the same bilateral series that the two teams had tied one game, thanks to the batting heroics by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

In terms of wickets, India’s narrowest victory by 1 wicket came at Auckland in 2003 while NZ’s closest win by 3 wickets came at Brisbane in 1980.

Individual records in India-NZ ODI history:

Most runs:

Tendulkar has plundered the most number of runs as an Indian against New Zealand (1,750 runs in 42 games at an average of 46.05; five tons and eight 50s). His highest score is unbeaten 186 in Hyderabad. Nathan Astle has scored 1,207 runs in 29 games versus India, the most by a New Zealander, at an average of 43.10. He has scored five tons and five half-centuries.

Highest individual scores:

This list is interesting. While Tendulkar’s 186 not out remains India’s topmost individual score against New Zealand, for the latter, the highest against India is 120 by Astle. But between the 186 and 120, there are another 11 scores all of them belong to the Indian batsmen (for India, the second highest score of 163 not out is also by Tendulkar).

Also read- India v New Zealand, ODI series – 5 New Zealand players to watch out for

Most 100s in India-NZ games:

Virender Sehwag has slammed the most number of 100s against New Zealand in 23 games while for NZ, the record belongs to Astle (five).

Most ducks:

No, they are not bowlers but frontline batsmen. For Indians, the not-so-great record belongs to Dilip Vengsarkar (five) while for NZ, former smashing batsman Brendon McCullum is its holder (also five). Tendulkar, the highest scorer from both sides, has scored four ducks against the Kiwis.

Most wickets:

Former Indian pacer Javagal Srinath is the only bowler to take more than 50 ODI wickets in India-NZ games. He has done so in 30 appearances. For NZ, Kyle Mills has the most number of ODI wickets (32) in 29 games. Former Kiwi all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee has 27 Indian scalps in his ODI kitty.

Best bowling figures:

New Zealanders dominate this list by far. While Shane Bond’s 6 for 19 is the best bowling performance by a Kiwi bowler versus India, believe it or not – for India, the two best bowling figures have come from former opening batsman Krish Srikkanth. He has two five-for against the Kiwis – at Vishakhapatnam (5 for 27) and Indore (5 for 32) registered in 1988.

Best economy rate:

Former left-handed batsman Dinesh Mongia has the best bowling economy rate of 0.00 against New Zealand (1 ball, 1 wicket) while Sir Hadlee has done the best for NZ against India (2.96).

Five-for:

There are in all 10 five-fors registered in India-NZ games out of which four are by Indian bowlers (two by Srikkanth, one each by Anil Kumble and Prabhakar).

Most number of matches as captain:

While Stephen Fleming has led NZ in most number of matches against the Indians (28 with 15 wins and 10 losses), Mohammad Azharuddin holds the record for India (25 with 11 wins and losses). Dhoni has led 13 games against NZ so far and if everything goes smooth, he will overtake Sourav Ganguly (16 games as captain versus NZ) to go next only to Azhar.

Other India-NZ trivia:

1. NZ defeated India in the final of the Mini World Cup in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2000 following a smashing ton by Chris Cairns. It was the Kiwis’ first-ever title victory in a major international tournament.

2. Medium-pacer Chetan Sharma registered the first-ever hat-trick in the World Cup (overall, it was third) and it had come against NZ at Nagpur.

3. Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has scored only one ODI hundred (103 not out) and it had come versus NZ in the same match in which Sharma excelled.