New Zealand have fallen to an unassailable 1-0 deficit in their Twenty20 series against India, losing game two by 65 runs at Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval.
Days after the scheduled opener was rained out, shortening the series to two matches, the Blackcaps were outplayed with bat and ball.
A century to India's Suryakumar Yadav (111 not out) guided India to 191/6 from their 20 overs, before part-timer Deepak Hooda took 4/10 with the ball to restrict the Blackcaps to 126 in reply.
Yadav's innings also overshadowed a second career hat-trick to Tim Southee, who took three wickets in three balls in the final over of India's innings.
New Zealand's effort would have been a lot worse were it not for 61 to captain Kane Williamson, although the skipper's strike rate will again lead to questions over his future in the format.
Williamson's innings from 52 balls - three balls slower than it took Yadav to bring up his century.
The two sides will now head to Napier for the third and final game of the series at McLean Park.
After Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl, the Blackcaps were at the mercy of Yadav - the world's No.1 ranked Twenty20 batter - who put the bowlers to the sword.
He scored a brisk half-century in 32 balls and then upped a gear to move to three figures.
Assuming the role of India's star batter in the absence of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma, Yadav took 17 balls to move from 50 to 100, hitting 10 fours and six sixes on his way to his century.
Yadav cleared the ropes with comical ease, including two sixes almost over the wicketkeeper and taking 22 runs off one Lockie Ferguson over.
On 111 at the end of the 19th over, Yadav wouldn't face another ball, as Southee had the final say in India's innings.
In three balls, Southee dismissed Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar, completing his second T20 International hat-trick, after achieving the feat against Pakistan in 2010.
In response, the Blackcaps' chances were hurt in the very first over, when Finn Allen fell for a duck, caught at third man off the bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
At the very least, Williamson's innings stopped India cruising to a record win over New Zealand, but the skipper's frustration was evident, as he struggled to find gaps in the field.
He barely celebrated when he raised his own half century in 48 balls, with the innings' next best score being 25 off 22 by Devon Conway.
Williamson's struggle came to an end in the 18th over, when he dragged a Mohammed Siraj full toss back onto his stumps at 124/7.
And with hopes of winning gone, the Blackcaps tail fell in quick time to the part-time off-spin of Hooda, who took 4/10 and quintupled his career wicket tally in the process.
Down 1-0, the Blackcaps can only hope to salvage a 1-1 series draw.
India 191/6 (Yadav 111 not out; Southee 3/34) New Zealand 126 (Williamson 61; Hooda 4/10)
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