MS Dhoni continues to create records – A statistical look at his role as 'finisher'

New Delhi: MS Dhoni, widely recognised as one of the best finishers the game has ever seen, produced yet another example of his calmness under pressure when he along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar registered a 100-run stand for 8th wicket en route to Team India's nervy win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI at the Pallekele stadium.

The nerve-wrecking match saw the former Indian captain register a few more records to his name:

1. Dhoni completed his 99th ODI stumping after affecting the dismissal of Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka in the 14th over. His tally is the joint highest along with former Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, though the Indian took quite a few matches less to reach the landmark.

2. After remaining not-out on 45 at the Pallekele stadium, Dhoni achieved the most number (120) of unbeaten knock in international cricket history. He surpassed Muttiah Muralitharan who had remained not-out on 119 occasions.

3. Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar were involved in a partnership of 100 not out which is India's highest eighth wicket partnership vs Sri Lanka in ODIs, obliterating the unbroken 57 between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel at Ranchi on November 16, 2014.

4. Dhoni also has most unbeaten innings and highest average in successful ODI run-chases.

Most unbeaten inns in successful ODI run chases
39 MS Dhoni
33 Jonty Rhodes
32 Inzamam
31 Ricky Ponting
30 M Azharuddin/J Kallis#SLvInd — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 25, 2017

Highest avg during successful run chases in ODIs
min 1000 runs
99.16 MS Dhoni
97.68 V Kohli
86.25 M Bevan
84.66 ABdeV
81.25 J Root#SLvInd — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 25, 2017

Here are some other major stats encapsulating the Pallekele ODI:

India's total (231) is their second lowest score to include two century stands -- 109 for the first wicket and 100 (unbroken) for the eighth wicket -- the lowest being 229 vs New Zealand at Baroda on December 4, 2010.

India could make just 22 while losing six wickets -- from second to seventh. Against New Zealand at Dambulla on August 10, 2010, they had lost six wickets for 28 runs.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoys splendid record in wins - his tally being 5682 at an average of 73.79, including seven hundreds and 38 fifties, in 166 matches.

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have shared 11 century stands -- the joint-third highest by an Indian pair -- the top two being 26 by Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar and 13 by Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar.

With his dismissal at 49, Dhawan has missed equalling a record for most fifty-plus innings against any opponent in ODIs. He had registered six fifty-plus innings in a row before today's match -- 94, 113, 79, 91, 125 and 132* vs Sri Lanka between 28-2-2014 and 24-8-2017. Javed Miandad between 26-3- 1985 and 25-5-1987 had registered seven fifty-plus innings -- 71, 59, 77*, 60, 113, 71* & 68 vs England.

Rohit's fifth fifty (54) vs Sri Lanka is his 32nd in ODIs -- his second in Sri Lanka -- the first being 69 at Dambulla on June 22, 2010.

Rohit is averaging 60-plus in ODIs this year -- his tally being 362 in seven innings, including a hundred and three fifties, in seven matches.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (53 not out off 80 balls) has recorded a career-best score in ODIs, outstripping the 31 vs England at Dharamsala on January 27, 2013.

Kumar is the fourth India's No.9 batsman to register a fifty in ODIs, joining JP Yadav, Madan Lal and Praveen Kumar.

Kumar is the fourth No.9 batsman to post a fifty in successful chases in ODIs, joining Australia's James Faulkner, Kenya's Thomas Odoyo and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

India's previous highest eighth-wicket stand in ODIs was 84 between Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar vs Australia at Vadodara on 25-10-2009.

For the first time a hundred-run partnership has been recorded for the eighth wicket in successful chases in ODIs, bettering the 99 (unbroken) between Ravi Bopara and Stuart Broad for England vs India at Manchester on August 30, 2007.

Akila Dananjaya has produced his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, eclipsing the 4 for 47 vs Zimbabwe at Hambantota on July 10, 2017. He has become the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take six or more wickets in an ODI vs India, joining Muttiah Muralitharan (7/30 at Sharjah on October 27, 2000), Ajantha Mendis (6/13 at Karachi on July 6, 2008) and Angelo Matthews (6/20 at Colombo (RPS) on September 12, 2009.

(With PTI inputs)