Win the toss and field
A lowdown on Pune's Nehru Stadium, where the team chasing a target has won seven out of nine times
S Rajesh
02-Nov-2003
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Chris Cairns: will carry fond memories of Pune © Getty Images |
Monday's Australia-New Zealand clash will be the 10th one-day international at the Nehru Stadium in Pune. Both Australia and New Zealand have played once each here, with contrasting fortunes: Australia beat India by eight wickets in 2000-01, while New Zealand suffered a five-wicket at the hands of India in 1995-96.
The past record at this venue suggests that bowling first is clearly the way to success: seven of the nine previous ODIs have been won by the team chasing a target. Winning the toss isn't necessarily a blessing here, though: only four times has the team winning the toss gone on to win the match as well.
One of the two occasions when the team batting first won was in a 1996 World Cup match, when Kenya pulled off a stunning upset against West Indies. Kenya batted first and managed just 166, but then bundled West Indies out for a mere 93 to win by a convincing 73-run margin.
Only once in nine attempts has the team batting first scored more than 250 here. India achieved that feat, making 286 against Sri Lanka in 1998-99, and ended up winning the match by a comfortable 51-run margin. In the next match played at Pune - against Australia in 2000-01 - the Indians came close again, notching up 248, with Hemang Badani scoring his maiden ODI hundred. It wasn't enough, though, as Mark Waugh struck a delightful unbeaten 133 to ease Australia to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory with 29 balls to spare.
New Zealand will hope Chris Cairns recovers in time for Monday's ODI. The only time New Zealand played here, Cairns thumped 103 off 87 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes, and then took 3 for 37 from 10 overs. He won the Man-of-the-Match award, despite New Zealand losing the game.