New Zealand overcame a valiant 124 from Virat Kohli to defeat India by 41 runs and seal their first ODI series victory 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 fell to 5-2 and 58-3 in Indore.
Mitchell scored 137 and Phillips 106 off 88 balls.
The Black Caps then bowled out India for 296 in 46 overs despite Kohli’s 54th ODI century and clinched the three-match series 2-1.
The in-form Kohli, who plays only in the 50-over format after retiring from Test and T20 international cricket, threatened to make the chase in a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership with Harshit Rana, who made 52.
New Zealand left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox returned figures of 2-42 in 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 player short.
Zak Foulkes and fellow seamer Kristian Clarke took three wickets each.
India slipped to 71-4 before Kohli counterattacked in an 88-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 53, and then Rana.
Kohli hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 108-ball knock before being caught by Clarke and returning to a standing ovation after his 85th international century.
Earlier, an in-form Mitchell picked up where he left off after his 131st not out win 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 eventually 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 managed an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls.
The teams will then play five T20 matches in a final build-up to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.
