Virat Kohli struck a magnificent hundred as he joined forces with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to power India to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the third one-day international in Mohali on Sunday.
Kohli (154 not out) and Dhoni (80) put together a 151-run stand for the third wicket to help India achieve their 286-run target in 48.2 overs as the hosts took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The batting duo not only put the innings back on track after India lost their openers early but also took the attack to the opposition bowling.
Kohli, who hit 16 fours and a six during his 134-ball knock, dominated the New Zealand bowling as he hit the ball to all parts of the ground.
Recording his 26th ODI ton, he made the most of a reprieve after he was dropped on six by Ross Taylor at gully off Matt Henry to consolidate his position as India's batting mainstay.
Dhoni, who recorded his 61st ODI fifty and went past the 9000-run mark, hit three towering sixes during his 91-ball stay but once again failed to finish off his opponents.
The 35-year-old, whose laboured knock in the previous game failed to take India over the line, scored his first fifty in a year after he promoted himself to number four.
Henry broke the big stand after Dhoni mistimed a delivery to short cover, the fielder strategically placed in that position for the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Manish Pandey made sure that he gave Kohli the perfect support to canter home in dew-laden conditions at the Mohali Stadium.
Pandey, who scored 28, and Kohli put on an unbeaten 97-run partnership to bring the home crowd to life.
Earlier Tom Latham and James Neesham struck fighting half-centuries and a late-order flourish helped New Zealand post a competitive 285.

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New Zealand
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M. Guptill lbw b Yadav                   27
T. Latham c Pandya b Jadhav              61
K. Williamson lbw b Jadhav               22
R. Taylor st Dhoni b Mishra              44
C. Anderson c Rahane b Jadhav             6
L. Ronchi st Dhoni b Mishra               1
J. Neesham c Jadhav b Yadav              57
M. Santner c Kohli b Bumrah               7
T. Southee b Yadav                       13
M. Henry not out                         39
T. Boult b Bumrah                         1
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Extras: (w7)                              7
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Total: (all out; 49.4 overs)            285
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Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Guptill), 2-80 (Williamson), 3-153 (Taylor), 4-160 (Anderson), 5-161 (Ronchi), 6-169 (Latham), 7-180 (Santner), 8-199 (Southee), 9-283 (Neesham), 10-285 (Boult)
Bowling: Yadav 10-0-75-3, Pandya 5-0-34-0, Bumrah 9.4-0-52-2, Jadhav 5-0-29-3, Patel 10-0-49-0, Mishra 10-0-46-2

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India (target 286)
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R. Sharma lbw b Southee                  13
A. Rahane c Santner b Henry               5
V. Kohli not out                        154
M.S. Dhoni c Taylor b Henry              80
M. Pandey not out                        28
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Extras: (lb2, w7)                         9
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Total: (3 wkts; 48.2 overs)             289
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Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Rahane), 2-41 (Sharma), 3-192 (Dhoni)
Bowling: Henry 9.2-0-56-2, Boult 10-0-73-0, Southee 10-0-55-1, Santner 10-0-43-0, Neesham 9-0-60-0
Did not bat: K. Jadhav, H. Pandya, A. Patel, A. Mishra, J. Bumrah, U. Yadav
Toss: India
Result: India won by 7 wickets
Series: India lead the five-match series 2-1.
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND)
TV umpire: CK Nandan (IND)
Match referee: Richie Richardson (WI).