Stand-in ODI captain Shikhar Dhawan will yet again lead team India in a three-match ODI series, against New Zealand, the first match of which will take place at the Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow (Friday).
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While India will yet again field a second-string playing XI sans the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, or a Jasprit Bumrah, New Zealand will be without the services of Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, and Martin Guptill.
The last ODI at the Eden Park was also an India-New Zealand fixture, which took place back in February 2020 when the hosts emerged victorious by 22 runs.
Despite insisting on the fact that he does not take his place in the ODI team for granted, focus will be on Dhawan, who not only had an average home ODI series versus South Africa last month, but has also not scored a century in the format since June 2019.
ALSO READ: Pitch report of New Zealand vs India first ODI at Eden Park
Moreover, the Southpaw has batted at a poor strike rate of 75 in the format this year, which is his lowest since 2013. With a host of top-order/ openers ready to perform at his spot, the 36-year-old needs to have a decent series this time around.
Eden Park ODI records India
Team India has played a total of 10 ODI matches at the Eden Park, Auckland till date. They have won mere 4 of these matches, lost 5, while one match ended in a tie.
Barring one match against Zimbabwe during the 2015 World Cup, they have faced hosts New Zealand in the remaining fixtures.
India’s highest ODI score at this venue is 314/9 against the hosts back in January 2014, while the lowest is 108/10 against the Kiwis again in December 2002.
None of the Indian batters have played more than three ODIs at the Eden Park. Virender Sehwag is the highest run scorer at this venue amongst Indians, with 152 runs across 3 innings at an average of 50.66.
No player part of the squad for the imminent series has played more than one match at this venue.
Yuzvendra Chahal (3 wickets) and Shardul Thakur (2 wickets) are the only players from the current squad who have played one match each at this venue.
Auckland Stadium India all match ODI result list
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Winner | Margin | Year |
| New Zealand | India | New Zealand | 80 runs | 1976 |
| New Zealand | India | New Zealand | 78 runs | 1981 |
| New Zealand | India | India | 7 wickets | 1994 |
| New Zealand | India | India | 5 wickets | 1999 |
| New Zealand | India | New Zealand | 3 wickets | 2002 |
| New Zealand | India | India | 1 wicket | 2003 |
| New Zealand | India | New Zealand | 8 wickets | 2009 |
| New Zealand | India | tied | 2014 | |
| India | Zimbabwe | India | 6 wickets | 2015 |
| New Zealand | India | New Zealand | 22 runs | 2020 |
