Kohli, Dhoni eye milestones as India take on New Zealand in Mohali
Virat Kohli needs 62 runs to complete 3000 runs in ODIs in India and Dhoni requires 22 to complete 9000 runs in ODIs.
In Short
- New Zealand finally have a win under their belt
- It will be the first time both teams would be facing each other in Mohali
- Kohli needs 62 runs to complete 3000 runs in ODIs in India
New Zealand finally have a win under their belt on their tour to India, when they defeated the hosts in the second one-day International in Delhi to level the five-match series at 1-1. The Black Caps, having got the momentum on their India tour, would still be wary of a formidable Team India under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
The Mohali ground has been a happy ground for India and it will be the first time both teams would be facing each other at this venue. Moreover, India are slightly ahead in the head-to-head record with 47 wins and Kiwis not far behind with 42 out of 95 matches. Out of the 95 matches, 29 were played in India and New Zealand having managed to win only 6.
Head-to-head
| Played | Ind won | NZ won | NR | Tied | |
| Overall | 95 | 47 | 42 | 5 | 1 |
| in India | 29 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| at Mohali | 0 |
Apart from that all eyes would be on Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who also have a chance of achieving different milestones. The Test captain needs 62 runs to complete 3000 runs in ODIs in India and Dhoni requires 22 to complete 9000 runs in ODIs. If Dhoni does gets to that landmark, he will become only the third wicketkeeper to score 9000 runs after Kumar Sangakkara and Adam Gilchrist.
After losing to New Zealand by six runs, India can now step on the Mohali ground with more confidence as the team has a record of winning eight of the 13 games they played at this venue.
Even though the two teams have never played each other in Mohali before, India have a 61.53 per cent win rate, having lost only 5 games till date. The winning rate of India, though, does not look impressive when compared to New Zealand, who have had the experience of playing in Mohali thrice against other teams. They emerged victorious in two and achieved a success rate of 66.66 per cent.
Result summary at Mohali
| Played | Won | Lost | NR | Tied | Win% | |
| India | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 61.53 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
From the last five ODIs that took place in Mohali, India have won three while losing to Australia in the other two. India last played Australia in Mohali on Oct 19, 2013 and losing the match by 4 wickets.
India's last five matches at Mohali
| Date | Vs | Batted 1st | Batted 2nd | Result |
| 19 Oct 2013 | Aus | Ind 303-9 (50) | Aus 304-6 (49.3) | Aus won by 4 wickets |
| 23 Jan 2013 | Eng | Eng 257-7 (50) | Ind 258-5 (47.3) | Ind won by 5 wickets |
| 20 Oct 2011 | Eng | Eng 298-4 (50) | Ind 300-5 (49.2) | Ind won by 5 wickets |
| 30 Mar 2011 | Pak | Ind 260-9 (50) | Pak 231 (49.5) | Ind won by 29 runs |
| 02 Nov 2009 | Aus | Aus 250 (49.2) | Ind 226 (46.4) | Aus won by 24 runs |
Average first innings score in D/N matches at Mohali:
| Overall: | 258 |
| Last 5 matches: | 274 |
Pace vs Spin in Mohali (last 5 D/N matches)
| Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | |
| Pace | 43 | 38.83 | 5.67 | 5-46 |
| Spin | 23 | 41.47 | 4.81 | 3-39 |
Pace vs Spin in Mohali - in first innings (last 5 D/N matches)
| Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | |
| Pace | 20 | 41.45 | 5.90 | 5-46 |
| Spin | 13 | 38.92 | 4.64 | 3-39 |
Pace vs Spin at Mohali - in second innings (last 5 D/N matches)
| Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | |
| Pace | 23 | 36.56 | 5.46 | 3-29 |
| Spin | 10 | 44.80 | 5.03 | 2-31 |
MS Dhoni has now played 10 innings without scoring a fifty. India will look to settle score and put their record back on track in Mohali, a few killometres from Chandigarh.
(Stats by Rajneesh Gupta)