A 154-run opening partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma set India on course to a 90-run win over New Zealand in the second one-day cricket international on Saturday, 26 January, and get a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The opening stand was the highest first wicket partnership in ODIs at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
The previous record of 119 runs was put together by Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilleke earlier this year.
After both openers were dismissed in the span of 4.1 overs, India consolidated through a 64-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu, and thereafter a 35-run partnership between Rayudu and MS Dhoni, before Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav provided the end innings flourish.
Courtesy the partnership between Dhoni and Jadhav, India finished with 324-4 – their second-highest total in ODIs in New Zealand.
MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 48, while Jadhav was 22 not out at the end of the innings. MS Dhoni has now been not out in his last three ODI innings, and now averages 241.00 in ODIs in 2019.
The 2nd ODI against New Zealand was the first time ever that each batsman in India's top five made scores of 40 or more in the same innings.
The 90-run win in the 2nd ODI would also be India's first win in ODIs played on 26 January; the Indian team had lost two ODIs played on previous Republic Days, while one other match ended as a No Result.
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