New Zealand vs India 2019: MS Dhoni in Line to Overtake Sachin Tendulkar's Record in New Zealand
Updated - 21 Jan 2019, 11:19 AM
Former Indian National Cricket team skipper MS Dhoni has stormed back to form in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia. The return of form for MS Dhoni will be a massive boost for the team management ahead of the ICC World Cup in England and Wales.
However, Dhoni struggled throughout 2018 scoring only 275 runs in 20 ODIs last year. His strike-rate and average in 2018 was his worst-ever in a calendar year since his debut in 2004. Owing to poor form the selectors decided to drop from the squad against Windies and the T20I team against Australia. MS Dhoni, however, has returned to the national set-up with a bang.
The veteran wicket-keeper batsman scored three back-to-back half-centuries in the ODI series against Australia. Although his knock in Sydney went in a losing cause and he received fair criticism for batting too slow, Dhoni bounced back in Adelaide and Melbourne. He scored an unbeaten fifty and shared two crucial partnerships with Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik to take India home and level the series. And in the series-decider, MS Dhoni once again guided his side home, scoring an unbeaten 87 as India beat Australia by seven wickets to win the three-match series 2-1. It is India’s first bilateral ODI series win Down Under.
Dhoni in line to overtake Sachin Tendulkar
And now, Dhoni looks in line to surpass the record of legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The cricketer from Jharkhand enjoys a good record in New Zealand scoring 541 runs at an average of 90.16 from 12 matches. He first toured New Zealand in 2009 and had scored six half-centuries in New Zealand so far.
Dhoni finds himself third in the list of most runs scored by an Indian batsman behind Sachin Tendulkar (652 runs from 18 matches) and Virender Sehwag (598 runs from 12 games).
With the five-match ODI series starting from January 23 (Wednesday), MS Dhoni has a fair chance to overtake the duo and finish in the top of the list.
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