MS Dhoni records best numbers as India beat Australia for first time at Chepauk

Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi: The Virat Kohli-led Team India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Australia by beating the visitors by 26 runs (D/L) in Chennai on Sunday. 

Batting first, the Men in Blue posted 281 for 7, India kept Australia to 137 for 9 as their target was revised to 164 in 21 overs due to rain. 

Here are a few records that were broken and other stats from the India vs Australia 1st ODI.

*India's 26-run triumph is their first in two matches vs Australia in ODIs at Chepauk. They had lost by one run to Australia at this venue on October 9, 1987.

* Mahendra Singh Dhoni is averaging 100-plus in ODIs at Chepauk — his tally being 401 in six innings, including two hundreds and a fifty, at an average of 100.25. Dhoni’s seventh fifty vs Australia is his 66th in ODIs.

* After a poor season last year averaging 27.80, Dhoni is averaging 89.57 in ODIs this year — his aggregate being 627 in 14 innings, including a century and five fifties. This is his best performance in terms of averages in a calendar year.

* Dhoni has managed 241 runs before being dismissed in this match vs Australia in ODIs. Against Sri Lanka in his previous four innings, he had remained unbeaten.

* Dhoni (212) is one of the five batsmen to have hit 200 sixes or more in ODIs. The other four being Shahid Afridi (351), Sanath Jayasuriya (270), Chris Gayle (238) and Brendon McCullum (200).

* Dhoni is averaging 75-plus in wins in ODIs, his tally being 5878 (ave. 75.35) in 170 matches — the highest among the batsmen with atleast 4000 runs in wins.

* Hardik Pandya (83 off balls) has posted his highest ever score in ODIs, eclipsing the 76 vs Pakistan at The Oval on June 18, 2017.

* Pandya’s only other half century in ODIs is 56 vs England at Kolkata on January 22.

 Pandya has become the third Indian all-rounder to produce a 75-plus score apart from capturing two wickets vs Australia in the same ODI. He has joined Sachin Tendulkar (141 + 4/38 at Dhaka on October 28, 1998) and Robin Singh (75 + 2/43 at The Oval on June 4, 1999).

* For the second time in his ODI career, Pandya has recorded a fifty and bagged two or more wickets in the same match – the first instance being 56 and 3 for 49 vs England at Kolkata on January 22, 2017.

* Pandya has posted 32 sixes in 17 innings in international cricket — the highest by an Indian batsman this year.

* Pandya recorded three consecutive sixes off Zampa — a distinction accomplished by him for the third time in ODIs and once in Tests.

* Pandya had recorded the aforesaid feat earlier this year also — twice in the ICC Champions Trophy – both times against Pakistan (off Imad Wasim at Birmingham on June 4 and off Shadab Khan at The Oval in the Final on June 18) and off Pushpakumara vs Sri Lanka in the Pallekele Test.

* Number six and seven batsmen have recorded 75-plus for the first time in the same ODI innings for India — Mahendra Singh Dhoni (79) & Hardik Pandya (83). In all, this is the fourth instance in ODIs.

* Pandya and Dhoni were involved in a stand of 118 — India’s first century partnership for the sixth wicket vs Australia in ODIs in India. Overall the said partnership is India’s second century stand for this wicket vs Australia in ODIs — the highest being 123 between Sadagoppan Ramesh and Robin Singh at Colombo, SSC on August 28, 1999.

* Glenn Maxwell enjoys an impressive strike rate (125.13) in ODIs — his tally being 2016 at an average of 33.04 in 69 innings — the highest among the batsmen with at least 2,000 runs in ODIs.

* Virat Kohli has posted his second duck as captain in ODIs — both in 2017 — vs Sri Lanka at The Oval on June 8 and vs Australia at Chepauk on September 17. In all, Kohli has posted 12 ducks in ODIs. However, during the last two years, he did not record a single duck.

* Kohli became the first captain to register winning % of 80.00 in ODIs — 28 wins, seven losses and one no-result game out of 36.