For the third consecutive time in the series, MS Dhoni won the toss, and for the third consecutive time he opted to field first. In fact, in two ODIs against South Africa also – where he won the toss – Dhoni had opted to field first. The result summary: 4 losses, one tie.
Varun Aaron had last played for India against West Indies at Visakhapatnam on 02-12-2011. He missed 56 matches during that period.
MS Dhoni was playing his 250th international match as captain. The break-up of his matches: 51 Tests, 157 ODIs and 42 T20Is. Dhoni became the first Indian and only the fifth player to do so, after Australia’s Ricky Ponting (324), New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming (303), South Africa’s Graeme Smith (283) and Australia’s Allan Border (271).
Martin Guptill (111) made his fifth ODI ton – his first against India.
Kane Williamson (65) made his third consecutive 50 in the series. He became the first New Zealand player to make three 50-plus scores in a series against India.
The second-wicket partnership of 153 runs between Guptill and Williamson is New Zealand’s highest for this wicket against India. The pair obliterated the previous record stand of 138 between Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming set at Colombo (SSC) in 2001.
When he dismissed Corey Anderson, it was after bowling 78.4 overs and conceding 323 runs in international cricket that R Ashwin claimed a wicket!
Brendon McCullum recorded his second consecutive duck – his fifth against India and 17th of his ODI career. Interestingly, his wicket was the first time Aaron dismissed a batsman by some other mode than bowled. Aaron’s previous six ODI wickets were all out bowled!
Mohammad Shami (10-0-84-2) now holds the dubious distinction of conceding the most runs by an Indian bowler against New Zealand. Munaf Patel had conceded 79 runs in 7.2 overs at Christchurch on 08-03-2009.
It was after seven matches that India managed to dismiss the opponents in an ODI. The last such instance was at Kochi on 21-11-2013 when West Indies were bowled out for 211.
Suresh Raina (35) has now scored only one fifty in 24 ODI innings after the home series against England in January 2013.
MS Dhoni – with his three sixes – achieved the distinction of becoming the Indian batsman with most sixes in international cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 264 sixes. At the end of this match, Dhoni’s tally of sixes stands at 267. While Tendulkar played 782 innings for his 264 sixes, Dhoni surpassed him after playing only his 379th innings!
R Ashwin (65) scored his maiden ODI 50 in his 73rd ODI.
MS Dhoni (50), R Ashwin (65) and Ravindra Jadeja (66*) provided the first instance of Nos.6, 7 and 8 scoring 50s in same innings in an ODI.
India (314/9) provided only the third instance of a side scoring 300 or more batting second to tie a match. New Zealand (340/7 vs England at Napier on 20-02-2008) and England (338/8 vs India at Bangalore on 27-02-2011) provided the other two such instances.
Today’s match was the:
32nd tie in ODI history
7th tie involving India
6th tie involving New Zealand
1st tie between India and New Zealand
4th tie for MS Dhoni as a captain (most for any captain in ODIs)
