India vs Australia, ODI series, stats review: From MS Dhoni’s ever-swelling chase record to Rohit Sharma's six-hitting affinity

With a seven-wicket victory in the deciding ODI at Melbourne Cricket Ground, India finally registered their first-ever bilateral ODI series win in Australia. Virat Kohli and Co achieved the feat in some style too, by becoming the first touring side to not lose any of the Test, ODI and T20I series in a single tour to Australia.

Questions hovered over MS Dhoni’s place in the Indian side before the start of the ODI series, but the former India captain once again proved his worth by keeping his calm in crunch situations and using all his experience to finish two straight games in the three-match series.

Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav also played crucial roles likewise bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami aided India seal the series. In the only opportunity leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got, he too underlined his case for featuring more often in the playing XI. Whilst for the hosts, Australia, have a lot to ponder before the all-important World Cup.

With India next headed to New Zealand and Australia set to host Sri Lanka, here’s a wholesome statistical review from the ODI series between Australia and India.

Australia won the first ODI played at Sydney by 34 runs and became the first team to win 1,000 international matches.

After his magnificent 133 in the first ODI at Sydney Cricket Ground, Rohit Sharma climbed to third place in the list of players, who have scored the most runs against an opposition in ODIs. It was his 22nd ODI century which is now the joint third-most by an Indian player alongside Sourav Ganguly. He has now scored a century in each of his last 10 ODI series/tournament, starting from ICC Champions Trophy – 2017.

Rohit holds the record of most number of sixes against an opposition in ODIs. His 29 sixes versus Australia in Australia, is a record. Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi held the record previously with 25 sixes.

Rohit shattered few more records as he now holds the record of hitting most sixes against an opponent across formats in international cricket. He has hit 89 sixes against Australia from 54 international matches.

Peter Siddle became the first Australian player to make a comeback in ODIs after a gap of eight years. Before this series, he last played an ODI for Australia, back in November, 2010.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj, who made his debut for India in ODIs at Adelaide, conceded 76 runs, which was the second most by an Indian bowler playing his maiden game. Karsan Ghavri holds the record of most runs conceded by an Indian bowler on ODI debut (83 runs against England at Lord’s in 1975). Siraj conceded 53 runs against New Zealand on his T20I debut in Rajkot in 2017, which also finds him second on the list of most no. of runs leaked in his first T20I game.

Kohli’s knock of 104 in the second match was his 39th ODI century. He has now scored 22 tons overseas – the second most for any player, eclipsing Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 21.

Yuzvendra Chahal registered figures of 6 for 42 at MCG, which is the best bowling figures for a spinner in ODIs in Australia and also the joint-best by an Indian Down Under. He became the first Indian spinner to take two five-fors outside India in ODIs. He is also the second player after Ajantha Mendis to take a six-wicket haul both in ODIs and T20Is.

MS Dhoni completed 26,000 runs in his professional career when reached on 28 in the third ODI becoming the fourth Indian player to score 1,000-plus runs in ODIs in Australia after Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit and Kohli. This was the third time that he has smashed three consecutive fifty-plus scores in an ODI series after doing it in 2011 (in England) and 2014 (in New Zealand).

Dhoni won the Player of the Series for his 193 runs, claiming his sixth Player of the series award for India – the joint Kohli and Sourav Ganguly at the third place. It was his first Player of the Series award in ODIs since 2011, where he had won the prize in a home ODI series against England.

Only Tendulkar (127) has now been part of more successful ODI run-chases than Dhoni (112).