5 Best ODI knocks for India vs New Zealand (at Home)

Team India is on a roll in the 50-over format. Just days after a thumping 3-0 series win vs Sri Lanka, they will now take on fellow WTC-2021 finalists in a three-match ODI series, starting on January 18.

Virat Kohli is back to scoring runs for fun, Mohammed Siraj is breathing fire with the new ball and Umran Malik is improving with every outing. Hence, the home team will be looking for another whitewash vs the Kiwis.

New Zealand, on the other hand, are without Kane Williamson but will be coming in with their tails up thanks to a 2-1 series win over Pakistan.

Kohli back in form is a Huge+ for India

India will have the upper-hand

India and New Zealand have faced off 35 times in ODIs at home. The home team has dominated proceedings with 26 wins, while the Kiwis have won just eight times (1 match ended in a No-Result). Most of these wins have come with the Indian batters showing their might and asserting their authority in home conditions.

Let’s take a look at five of the best innings that Indian batters have played vs New Zealand at home in ODIs over the years.

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Yusuf Pathan - 123* - Bengaluru - 2010

Yusuf Pathan has played a handful of impactful knocks for India in his short international career. Perhaps none of them were better than this onslaught against the Kiwis in December, 2010.

India were chasing 316 to win in Bengaluru and things took a turn for the worse as they slipped to 108-4 in the 20th over. Pathan walked in with India still needing 208 runs in 183 balls.

He was not particularly known for playing long innings but he took his time here, settling in and getting a feel for the conditions. It wasn’t till the fifth wicket fell in the 34th over, with 128 still needed, that he started going for the kill.

In the company of another newbie, Saurabh Tiwary, Pathan played this intelligently. He picked up quick singles while also punishing the loose ball every now and then. In the end, Yusuf took his team home with seven balls to spare, and he was rightly awarded player-of-the-match.

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Mohammad Azharuddin - 108*(65) - Vadodara - 1988

Azharuddin scored the fastest ODI century (in 1988) vs New Z

It was an innings way ahead of its time. India had already won the five-match series and were looking to keep their streak going.

New Zealand, however, played a blinder in the first innings and scored 278-3 (their then-highest total in ODIs vs India). Things were looking a bit shaky for the home side, as they slipped to 118-4 in the 29th over when Mohd Azharuddin walked onto the crease.

A massive 161 runs were still required in 120 odd balls. He launched a counter-attack, putting the Kiwi bowlers to the sword with considerable ease. His century came off just 65 balls, the fastest ODI century of that time. His knock was laced with 10 4s and three 6s. India won the match by a comfortable margin of 17 balls remaining.

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Sachin Tendulkar - 186*(150) - Hyderabad - 1999

Sachin Tendulkar’s brutality and artistry came to the forte on this memorable day for Indian cricket. Coming on the back of a big loss in the first ODI at Rajkot in a five-match series, Sachin looked determined to put the Kiwis to the sword in this match.

And so he did. Sachin and Rahul Dravid kept plundering runs with ease, and never for a second took their foot off the accelerator. New Zealand had no answers to the batters picking up the gaps with such ease and timing the ball like a dream.

Sachin was at his brutal best, especially after his century. He moved along at the crease, upsetting the bowlers' rhythm and picking up boundaries with ease. In the end, he was unbeaten on 186 - a knock laced with 23 hits to the fence (20 4s and three 6s).

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Virat Kohli - 154*(134) - Mohali - 2016

There just can’t be an ODI batting list with the modern-day GOAT’s name on it. With the five-match series level at 1-1, New Zealand looked to be in a prime position to take the lead as they scored 285 while batting first.

They followed it up with exceptional bowing in the powerplay, picking up two wickets for 41 runs within the first nine overs.

The genius of Virat Kohli in full flow

From there, it was the Virat Kohli show. In the company of MS Dhoni, he stitched together a 151-run partnership in typical Kohli style. They kept the scoreboard ticking, were always busy between wickets, and never missed out on an opportunity to put away a bad ball.

Post MSD’s dismissal, Kohli continued in his merry ways and didn’t give the Kiwi bowlers a sniff. He finished unbeaten on 154, with 16 4s and one 6. They won the match handsomely by seven wickets, with 10 balls to spare.

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Sunil Gavaskar - 103*(88) - Nagpur - 1987

A Gavaskar special gave India a massive win

In the 1987 World Cup, Sunil Gavaskar produced an inning that defied everything one knew of him as a batsman. Batting second, the equation was simple for the home side. They had to chase down 222 in 42.1 overs to top the group - and go on to play their Semi-Finals in Mumbai.

Prior to this match, Gavaskar had never scored a century in ODIs. He was not someone known to attack bowlers from the get-go. However, on this day, he batted like a man possessed, even out-scoring his Sehwagesque partner, Kris Srikanth.

Gavaskar never let his foot go off the accelerator as he raced to his century of just 85 balls and helped India chase down the target in just 32.1 overs. His knock was laden with 10 4s and three 6s and ensured that they topped their group and played the semis in Mumbai.