New Zealand overcame a valiant 124 by Virat Kohli to thrash India by 41 runs and seal their first ever ODI series win on Indian soil on Sunday.
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips guided New Zealand to 337-8 with a fourth-wicket stand of 219 after the tourists slumped to 5-2 and 58-3 in Indore.
Mitchell made 137 and Phillips hit 106 off 88 balls.
The Black Caps then bowled India out for 296 in 46 overs despite Kohli’s 54th ODI century to take the three-match series 2-1.
The in-form Kohli, who only plays the 50-over format after retiring from Test and T20 international cricket, threatened to end the chase in a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership with Harshit Rana, who made 52.
New Zealand left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox returned 2-42 from his 10 overs after captain Michael Bracewell left the field with a calf injury and did not return.
Mitchell led the team in Bracewell’s absence, which also left New Zealand a bowler short.
Zak Foulkes and fellow seamer Kristian Clarke took three wickets each.
India slumped to 71-4 before Kohli hit back in an 88-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy making 53 and then with Rana.
Kohli hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 108-ball knock before being overtaken by Clarke and walking back to a rousing ovation after his 85th international century.
Earlier, the in-form Mitchell continued where he left off after his match-winning 131 not out in the second ODI, which leveled the series at 1-1.
Mitchell reached his ninth ODI ton with a single off Ravindra Jadeja before Phillips also brought up his hundred.
Arshdeep finally dismissed Phillips caught behind to end the marathon stand and Mitchell soon followed, falling to Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand faltered and lost four more wickets, but Bracewell hammered an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls.
The teams will next play five T20 matches in a final tune-up to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.
