The decider was shaped by strong batting from the visitors and a spirited but ultimately insufficient chase from the hosts.

Early setbacks put India on the back foot

Chasing a steep target of 338, India lost momentum early as top-order wickets fell in quick succession. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul were dismissed cheaply, leaving India reeling at 71 for four.

With pressure mounting, Virat Kohli anchored the innings, batting deep into the chase as wickets continued to fall around him.

Kohli’s century keeps the contest alive

Kohli produced a determined century, scoring 124 off 108 deliveries to register his 54th ODI hundred. He stitched together an 88-run fifth-wicket partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who contributed a measured 53.

Lower down the order, Harshit Rana added a late half-century, but the asking rate continued to climb. New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Kyle Jamieson and Zakary Foulkes, picked up three wickets each to close out the innings in the 46th over with India bowled out for 296.

Mitchell and Phillips lay the foundation

Earlier, New Zealand recovered strongly after slipping to 58 for three. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips turned the innings around with a commanding fourth-wicket partnership worth 219 runs.

Mitchell scored 137, registering his fourth ODI century against India, while Phillips followed with 106, reaching his hundred off 83 balls after accelerating in the latter half of the innings. Late contributions from Michael Bracewell and Kristian Clarke pushed the total to 337 for eight.

Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana took three wickets apiece for India, but the total proved decisive.

Series win caps rare achievement

The win completed a notable series turnaround for New Zealand, who had dropped the first match before claiming the next two to secure a rare bilateral ODI series triumph in India.