Daryl Mitchell's career-best 89 is not enough as New Zealand lose the series in Wellington

Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten career-best 89 carried New Zealand to their biggest total of the series in Wellington, and it bought them 13.2 overs

New Zealand made 198 for 3 at Sky Stadium after India won the toss and opted to bowl, a score the hosts had reason to defend on a seaming surface. India chased it in 13.2 overs to win by six wickets with 40 balls remaining, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Mitchell finished on 89 from 52 balls with five fours and five sixes, the highest score of his T20I career. Finn Allen struck 40 from 25 and Bevon Jacobs an unbeaten 39 from 23, and for an hour New Zealand looked to have found the template that eluded them earlier in the series.

Captain Mitchell Santner said afterwards that "200 is a nice score", crediting Mitchell and Jacobs for getting the side there, and pointed to the dew and the powerplay as the passages that decided the night.

Allen and Mitchell rebuild from six for one

Arshdeep Singh removed Tim Seifert for 2 in the second over, and New Zealand were 6 for 1 with the ball seaming off the pitch.

Allen and Mitchell answered with 86 from 43 balls for the second wicket, Allen clearing the rope five times before he fell. Fourteen runs came from Arshdeep's sixth over and fourteen more from Axar Patel's next.

New Zealand were 100 for 2 at halfway, on course for 220.

India squeeze the final seven overs

Axar had Glenn Phillips caught and bowled for 17 in the 12th over to leave the hosts 123 for 3, and India's plan of wide yorkers took hold from there.

Only 63 runs came from the final seven overs, with four bowlers used at the death and Mitchell unable to find the acceleration the start had promised.

Arshdeep returned 1-33 from four overs, Axar 1-36 and Nitish Kumar Reddy 1-38 from four. Prince Yadav went for 0-44.

An attack stretched thin

New Zealand played without two of their first-choice quicks. Matt Henry was ruled out of the rest of the T20I series after bowling two overs on Saturday and leaving with what Santner called a "tight calf", and Lockie Ferguson sat out Wellington as a precaution.

"Those two are being assessed. They'll go for some scans on Tuesday after the public holiday," coach Rob Walter said.

Blair Tickner has joined the squad for the final three matches, Josh Clarkson for the last two and Matt Fisher as cover for Wellington. Kyle Jamieson played here but leaves for Ford Trophy duty.

Abhishek takes the game away in five overs

Whatever New Zealand had on the board was never going to survive the opening stand. Abhishek Sharma made 113 from 38 balls with nine fours and 11 sixes, and he and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, promoted to open, put on 133 in 7.1 overs.

India were 178 for 2 after 10 overs. Jamieson eventually had Abhishek caught and he left to a standing ovation, finishing with 2-45 from 3.2 overs as the only New Zealand bowler to take more than one wicket. Sooryavanshi made 45.

India captain Shreyas Iyer, whose side had set out to keep New Zealand under 200, said of the opening burst: "Getting 100 in five overs – I have not seen that before at the international level." He added: "Credit where it is due, the way they played was exceptional."

Auckland next with the series already gone

The fourth T20I is at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday, with New Zealand now playing for the consolation of a result.

Ferguson is expected back for Auckland and Hamilton, which would give Santner one recognised strike bowler more than he had here. Henry stays in Christchurch and rejoins the squad on November 2, two days before the first ODI.

Scorecard: New Zealand 198 for 3 (Mitchell 89*, Allen 40, Jacobs 39*; Arshdeep 1-33, Axar 1-36) lost to India 199 for 4 in 13.2 overs (Abhishek Sharma 113, Sooryavanshi 45; Jamieson 2-45) by six wickets.

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