Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 18 (ANI): A fantastic century from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips has guided New Zealand to post a challenging target of 338 runs against India in the third and final ODI at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

For those unversed, the three-match ODI series is level at 1-1, with India winning the first and New Zealand winning the second.

After being asked to bat first, New Zealand were off to a poor start. Speedster Arshdeep Singh clean bowled opener Henry Nicholls for a golden duck during the fourth ball of the very first over.

In the very next over, right-arm pacer Harshit Rana removed Devon Conway (5) after he edged straight to Rohit Sharma, who took a simple catch at the first slip. This was the third time Rana dismissed Conway in the ongoing ODI series.

After the end of five overs, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell took New Zealand to 27/2. After losing both openers inside the first two overs, Mitchell and Young took New Zealand to 47/2 in 10 overs.

During the first ball of the 12th over, Harshit Rana broke the 53-run partnership for the third wicket. The pacer removed Will Young (30 off 41 balls) after Ravindra Jadeja took a stunning catch at the backward point region.

After the end of 20 overs, New Zealand scored 95/3. Mitchell continued his sublime form as he scored yet another fifty in the ongoing series during the last ball of the 21st over. This was Mitchell's fourth consecutive ODI fifty against India. He is just behind Kane Williamson's (5) tally.

New Zealand crossed the 150-run mark after the end of the 29th over. During the 33rd over, Glenn Phillips completed his sixth ODI half-century. It was also the first 50-plus score in 10 ODI innings against India for Glenn Phillips as New Zealand reached 183/3.

During the fourth ball of the 36th over, Daryl Mitchell hammered his ninth ODI century in 106 deliveries. It was Mitchell's third ODI hundred in the last four innings, and second in the ongoing three-match ODI series against India.

Overall, Mitchell is just behind South African great AB de Villiers's record (5) of most hundreds against Men in Blue in India ODI cricket. This was also the fourth ODI century for Daryl Mitchell in India - the joint-most for a New Zealand batter alongside Nathan Astle (5).

After the end of the 40th over, New Zealand were in a commanding position as they reached 238/3, with the partnership for the fourth-wicket between Mitchell and Phillips was at 180 runs.

During the last ball of the 42nd over, Glenn Phillips completed his second ODI century in 83 deliveries. New Zealand reached 266/3. Notably, this was the first instance of two New Zealand batters (Mitchell and Phillips) scoring hundreds against India in the same ODI innings.

Arshdeep Singh finally broke the mammoth 219-run partnership after he dismissed Phillips during the first ball of the 44th over. Phillips played a fantastic knock of 106 off 88 deliveries, including nine fours and three sixes.

The 219-run partnership between Mitchell and Phillips was the second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket or lower against India in ODIs, behind 221* runs added by Kane Williamson and Tom Latham for the fourth wicket at Auckland in 2022.

Mohammed Siraj then removed dangerous Mitchell during the first ball of the 45th over. The right-handed batter played a classy innings, scoring 137 off 131 balls, with the help of 15 fours and three sixes.

During the second ball of the 46th over, Kuldeep Yadav got the wicket of Mitchell Hay (2) as New Zealand slumped to 286/6.

Towards the end, captain Michael Bracewell's unbeaten 28 off 18 deliveries, including four boundaries, guided New Zealand to 337/8 in 50 overs. With the ball, Arshdeep Singh (3/63) and Harshit Rana (3/84) scalped three wickets each for India.

Brief score: New Zealand 337/8 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 137, Glenn Phillips 106; Arshdeep Singh 3/63, Harshit Rana 3/84) vs India. (ANI)