What Happened When India Last Played an ODI in Saurashtra?

India will be going against New Zealand at Saurashtra for the second ODI. After winning the first game of the series, the second match comes as an opportunity to clinch the series. But what happened when India did play its last ODI match at this venue?

The ODI series between India and New Zealand is about to get more exciting. India has already won the first match of the series, and they now remain just one win away from winning the series. On the other hand, New Zealand will also have to win the next game to ensure they remain alive in the series.

This match will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. And this is the same venue where India played a few games before the 2023 World Cup started. The team's last outing at this venue was not as good as expected, but this time, they will be eager to get a turnaround.

1. India vs Australia: 3rd ODI

The last time India played an ODI match at this venue, it was exactly 839 days ago. Even before the ODI World Cup had started, where India had an incredible run in the series. Before the World Cup, India played against Australia in a three match ODI series. The last game of this series was played at this venue, and India had already won the first two games.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

Australia was batting first in this game, and they went on to show a batting masterclass. All of the top four batsmen of the team were able to bring up half-centuries for the team. David Warner scored a quick fifty, before losing his wicket in the 9th over. Following this, Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh had an impressive stand.

Steve Smith scored 74, Marnus Labuschagne smashed 72, and Mitchell Marsh got out at the score of 96. Marsh just missed out on his century, but the top four of the Australian team troubled the Indian bowlers. The team was able to score 352 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. For India, Bumrah took 3 wickets, as Kuldeep Yadav also took 2.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

When India stepped in to bat, the team had a strong start to their innings. Washington Sundar opened with Rohit Sharma and scored just 18 runs off 30 balls. But after his wicket, the RoKo show started, which gave a delight to watch to the fans at the stadium. Rohit Sharma scored 81 runs before losing his wicket to Glenn Maxwell.

On the other hand, Kohli was also well settled but he also lost his wicket after scoring 56 runs. India stood at 171/3 by the 27th over, and the chances to win were getting lower. Eventually, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav also lost their wicket, contributing less to the team. Shreyas Iyer (48) and Ravindra Jadeja (35), gave some hopes to the fans.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

But eventually, the Australian bowlers were able to strike back again. As a result, India got all out at the score of 286, losing the game by 66 runs. Glenn Maxwell won the POTM award for taking 4 wickets in this match. His wickets included three main batsmen, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer.

2. RoKo's Dominance at Saurashtra

Where two legends meet, destruction is guaranteed. And this has been the case when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have played together for India at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. Even in India's last ODI match at this venue, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made it look so easy to bat, even a huge target felt as if it was achievable.

Rohit Sharma at SCAS:

• Innings: 3
• Not Out: 0
• Runs: 188
• Average: 62.66
• Strike Rate: 107.42
• 100s: 0
• 50s: 2

However, it should also be noted that none of them has been able to smash a ton at this venue. And what's better than creating new records when you're preparing for the 2027 World Cup. It will be intense to have the top ODI batters playing together at this venue after more than two years.

Virat Kohli at SCAS:

• Innings: 4
• Not Out: 0
• Runs: 226
• Average: 56.50
• Strike Rate: 87.59
• 100s: 0
• 50s: 3

Virat Kohli already had a strong start to the ODI series against New Zealand. Even in the tough conditions, he was able to score 93 runs off 91 balls in the 301-run chase. India was able to win the game by 4 wickets, as Virat Kohli also won the Player of the Match award. He is also likely to move to the top of the ICC Men's ODI Rankings tomorrow.