After the tremendous tour of Australia, Team India have arrived in neighbouring New Zealand for five-match ODI series and three-match T20 series. This will be the first tour of the Indian team to New Zealand that won’t feature a Test match.
Though India may not have a perfect record in New Zealand, but the country will always hold a special place in Indian cricket as far as Test cricket is concerned. India won their first overseas Test and also Test series in New Zealand in 1967-68.
Unfortunately, Virat and Co won’t be playing Test matches this time around. But with the World Cup just around the corner and Team India still trying to identify the right team balance despite the ODI success against a depleted Australian side, this limited-over tour against Kane Williamson and his team might be ‘what the doctor ordered for the side.’
Out of the 35 ODIs played against New Zealand in New Zealand, India has won a mere 10 of them. The last time they played an ODI series here in 2014, India didn’t manage to win a single game as they lost 0-4.
Here’s a look at how India fared in the ODI and T20I series in New Zealand over the years:
India Tour of New Zealand 1975-76
This was the first time India was involved in a limited-over series against the Kiwis in their own backyard. After drawing the three-match Test series 1-1, India went onto lose the two-match ODI series 2-0.
India lost the first ODI in Christchurch by 9 wickets. In the second and final ODI of the series in Auckland, India went down by 80 runs.
India Tour of New Zealand 1980-81
One of your forgettable overseas tour for India where the side failed to win anything. The Indian side went on to lose the three-match Test series 1-0 after drawing a blank in the ODI series as well.
In the two-match ODI series, India lost both matches in Auckland and Hamilton. In the first ODI, India failed to chase down 219 as they lost the match by 78 runs. A day later in Hamilton, India suffered the same fate as they were dismissed for 153 while chasing 210.
India Tour of New Zealand 1989-90
India were in New Zealand after a span of eight years, facing a New Zealand side led by John Wright. For the first time, instead of a bilateral ODI series, India was involved in a tri-series, with New Zealand’s trans-Tasmanian rival Australia being the third side. The tournament was famously known as the Rothmans Cup.
Out of the four matches, India played in the tri-series, they managed to win a solitary match. India lost their first match against New Zealand at Dunedin by 108 runs. Two days later they lost to Aussies at Christchurch by 18 runs.
In a thriller at Wellington, India beat New Zealand by 1 run to register their only win of the tournament. Kapil Dev bowled an exceptional last over to deny the home side victory.
But India lost their last match against Australia in Hamilton by seven wickets to be ousted of the tri-series. Australia and New Zealand went on to play the final as India again returned empty handed from New Zealand.
India Tour of New Zealand 1993-94
After drawing the one-off Test, India went on to draw an ODI series for the first time in New Zealand.
India, led by Mohammad Azharuddin, won the second and the third ODI of the four-match series.
In the first ODI at Napier, India lost by 28 runs.
The side came back strongly in the next ODI in Auckland. A 49-ball 82 from Sachin Tendulkar saw India ride home comfortably, registering a seven-wicket win.
India took their winning form in the third ODI in Wellington to seal a 12-run victory and take a 2-1 lead for the first-time ever in an ODI series in New Zealand.
But the host managed to snatch a last-over thriller in Christchurch to level the series and share the honour with India at home in an ODI series for the first time.
Anil Kumble starred with ball for India, finishing with nine wickets while Ajay Jadeja was leading run scorer in the series with 201 runs.
India Tour of New Zealand 1998-99
After the succeeding in drawing their first ODI series in New Zealand during the last tour, India again settled for a draw this time around too, courtesy the abandoned 3rd ODI in Wellington.
After losing the first ODI in Taupo by 5 wickets, India levelled the series with a last-over win in Napier.
India continued their winning streak in Auckland with a convincing five-wicket win.
But again, as luck would have it, India faltered in the fifth and the final ODI of the series in Christchurch as India lost by 70 runs.
Rahul Dravid scored a mammoth 309 runs for India, which is till the most number of runs scored by a batsman in an ODI series against New Zealand in New Zealand.
India Tour of New Zealand 2002-03
This has to be India’s most disastrous tour to New Zealand. India managed to go past 200 only once in the entire tour, including both Test and ODI series.
After losing the two-match Test series 2-0, India’s fortune didn’t change for good in the ODI series.
For the first time India was playing a seven-match ODI series in New Zealand. The Indian side, led by Sourav Ganguly, lost the first four matches of the series to give the host an unassailable lead in the series.
Out of these four matches, India didn’t manage to cross the 150-run mark in three of them.
India ended up on the winning side in the fifth and the sixth ODI. But New Zealand came back to take the last match of the series and end India’s misery in New Zealand.
New Zealand won the series 5-2.
India Tour of New Zealand 2008-09
Since India’s first tour to New Zealand in 1967-68, this was India’s most memorable tour to the island country.
Not only did India win their second Test series in New Zealand, the Indian side led by Dhoni made history by winning their first-ever ODI series there.
The five-match series was won by India 3-1 after the second ODI in Wellington was called off due to rain.
India’s win came in the first ODI in Wellington, third ODI in Christchurch and fourth ODI in Hamilton. Their only loss came in the final and fifth ODI in Auckland.
For India, Virender Sehwag, starred with the bat, amassing 259 runs in 5 ODIs. In the third ODI, Sachin Tendulkar scored 163, which is till date the highest runs scored by an Indian batsman in ODIs in New Zealand.
This was also the first time India played a T20 series in New Zealand. India were whitewashed in the two-match series.
India Tour of New Zealand 2013-14
After their sealing their first ODI series victory on the last tour, India were back to being poor visitors in New Zealand this time around.
Again, India failed to win a single ODI as they went down 4-0 in the five match ODI series.
India managed to tie the 3rd ODI in Auckland, to avoid a whitewash. Apart from that India lost all the ODIs by a decent margin.
India’s lone bright spot was Virat Kohli, who starred with bat, scoring 291 runs in the five matches. Kohli scored a century in the first ODI in Napier. With the ball, Mohammad Shami was brilliant picking up 11 wickets.
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