Centurion Kohli surpasses Ponting but Latham and Taylor thwart India
Virat Kohli moved past Ricky Ponting with his 31st one-day international hundred but Tom Latham and Ross Taylor stole the headlines to give New Zealand a six-wicket win over India in Mumbai.
India skipper Kohli marked his 200th ODI appearance with a typically classy display, making 121 off 125 balls to lead his country to 280-8 in humid conditions that favoured the batsmen.
Sachin Tendulkar is now the only player to have scored more tons in the 50-over format than the 28-year-old, though he took 463 matches to reach three figures 49 times.
However, Latham (103 not out) and Taylor (95) mounted a formidable 200-run fourth-wicket partnership – the highest union in an ODI at Wankhede Stadium – that meant Kohli's efforts were in vain as the Black Caps took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rohit Sharma (20) and Shikhar Dhawan (9) reunited to open for India but both fell to paceman Trent Boult (4-35) as the hosts made a shaky start.
Kohli consequently took it upon himself to anchor the innings, easing in before sending Colin de Grandhomme – who struggled with illness and vomited on the field – to the boundary on successive balls.
De Grandhomme would have had his revenge had Mitchell Santner not let Kohli's drive break through his grasp at cover on 29, and the India skipper made the most of that reprieve.
He displayed great fitness to keep the scoreboard ticking over and was visibly fatigued when lifting his bat as another well-judged single completed the century, but after a monstrous six off Tim Southee (3-73) he ballooned the next delivery to Boult at long-on.
Kohli's exertions made him a late arrival for New Zealand's innings, with Martin Guptill – who survived an lbw call after a review on 22 – and Colin Munro making a strong start to the chase.
Guptill (32) was unable to power the Black Caps on after the losses of Munro (28) and captain Kane Williamson (6), but Taylor and Latham proved exceptionally resilient to take them from 80-3 to glory.
Kohli missed a chance to run out Taylor after he reacted late to Latham's attempt to steal a single, but there was no miscommunication as the latter brought up his fourth ODI ton by nipping to the non-striker's end.
Latham's attention then turned to getting Taylor a century, but with one run needed for the win his wide half-volley off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-56) was taken low by Yuzvendra Chahal.
However, Henry Nicholls fired a four to the deep square leg boundary first ball to get the job done.