Black Caps allrounder Colin de Grandhomme has blasted New Zealand home in the third cricket ODI against India in Mount Maunganui.
Colin de Grandhomme scored 58 runs from 28 balls in the third ODI against India. Photo: Photosport
de Grandhomme smashed 58 runs from 28 balls as New Zealand chased down India's total of 296 for a five wicket win.
However, de Grandhomme was not the only New Zealand batsman looking to clear the boundary from ball one.
Black Caps opener Martin Guptill showed a continuation of his form from the second ODI in Auckland as he hit 66 runs off 46 balls to get New Zealand off to a flying start in the last ODI of the series.
Henry Nicholls scored 80 against India in the third ODI at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui. Photo: PhotoSport
Fellow opener Henry Nicholls also passed 50 runs for the second time this series as he reached 80 in an innings which included nine boundaries.
For Guptill and Nicholls it was their third consecutive 50-run partnership.
Captain Kane Williamson's return from a shoulder niggle in his 150th ODI did not last long, he was dimissed for 22.
Then, for the first time in the series India got Ross Taylor out.
After undefeated totals of 109 and 73 in the first two ODIs Taylor was spun out for 12.
Following Taylor's dismissal the Indian bowlers struck twice more in quick succession to temporarily slow the New Zealand chase.
But de Grandhomme and the captain for the first two ODIs, Tom Latham, combined to seal the win - scoring 80 runs between them in 35 minutes.
KL Rahul scored his fourth ODI century. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
India's wicketkeeper batsman KL Rahul top-scored with 112, for his fourth ODI century.
Rahul came to the crease with India 62-3 and left when the score had reached 269-5.
His partnerships with Shreyas Iyer (62) and Manish Pandey (42) steadied India's innings through the middle overs after the Black Caps pace bowlers struck early.
Hamish Bennett was the best of the New Zealand bowlers picking up 4-64 from his 10 overs.
Kyle Jamieson also impressed in his second ODI. He took the wicket of opener Maynak Agarwal cheaply and was the most economical of the six bowlers used by New Zealand, conceding 53 runs off his 10 overs.
New Zealand and India now move on to a two-match Test series starting in Wellington on 21 February.