Numbers Game: India complete half-century of wins vs NZ

Dinesh Karthik has hit nine half-centuries in 39 innings and all of them have resulted in Indian victories in ODIs.

Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik hit half-centuries after the pacers had impressed with the ball to help India clinch a series-levelling six-wicket victory against New Zealand in the second One-Day International in Pune on Wednesday.

Opener Dhawan top-scored with 68 and Karthik remained not out on 64 down the order as the hosts reached the 231-run victory target with four overs to spare after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (three for 45) and Jaspreet Bumrah, laid the foundation for their comprehensive victory by restricting New Zealand to 230 for nine after the tourists opted to bat.

This was India's 50 victory in ODIs against New Zealand, against whom they have played 100 matches.

Statistical highlights of the second ODI:

50 India have recorded their 50th win out of 100 ODIs played vs New Zealand (Lost 44, Tied 1 and NR 5) - success % 53.15.

4 Bhuvneshwar got his fourth Man of the Match award in ODIs -- his first vs New Zealand.  The said Man of the Match award is his first on Indian soil in ODIs. He claimed three for 45 to record his best bowling figures vs New Zealand in ODIs, eclipsing the 1 for 38 at Napier on January 19, 2014.

6 Indian fast bowlers captured six wickets -- 3 by Bhuvneshwar, 2 by Jasprit Bumrah and one by Hardik Pandya.  The last occasion when Indian fast bowlers bagged six wickets or more in an ODI in India was -- eight wickets vs Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 13, 2014 - 4 for 34 by Dhawal Kulkarni; 2 for 38 by Umesh Yadav and 2 for 55 by Stuart Binny.

5 Tim Southee has captured Rohit Sharma's wicket five times in ODIs. Only Sri Lankan Angelo Matthews has bagged his wicket most often than Southee -- 7 times in 27 ODIs.

9 Dinesh Karthik has posted his ninth fifty -- 64 not out off 92 balls in Pune. That knock is his second highest in ODIs on Indian soil next only to his career-best 79 vs South Africa at Gwalior on February 24, 2010.

41 In a winning cause, Karthik is averaging 41.24 -- his tally being 1031 in 39 innings, including nine fifties. His all nine fifty-plus innings resulted in Indian victories in ODIs.

2 Trent Boult (10-0-54-0) went wicketless against India in ODIs for the second time -- the first instance being 10-0-73-0 at Mohali on October 23, 2016.

1 Shikhar Dhawan's excellent innings of 68 off 84 balls is his first half century in six ODIs vs New Zealand. Overall, the above innings is his 22nd fifty in ODIs.

23 In the course of his match-winning knock, he became the 23rd batsman to complete 1,000 runs for India in ODIs in India -- his aggregate being 1045 (ave. 43.54) in 25 matches, including three centuries and 7 fifties.