India won another rain-interrupted ODI in emphatic fashion against New Zealand to take the five-game series 3-0.

Set 220 off 36 overs after a Duckworth-Lewis adjustment following four rain delays, India were 201 without loss when rain interrupted play for the fifth and final time with 23.3 overs bowled to hand them a 10-wicket win.

Virender Sehwag led the way with a magnificent unbeaten 125 - including six sixes and 14 boundaries - and in the absence of injured Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir stepped into the opener's role and added 63 to propel India to a resounding victory.

Sehwag's ton was the fastest by an India player and the seventh fastest in one-day international history as he brought up three figures in just 60 balls.

New Zealand's bowling attack simply had no answer to his power-hitting as he smacked the ball to all parts of Hamilton's Seddon Park, which was sold out for the match.

Iain O'Brien, brought back into the side after Tim Southee's disappointing run in the last match, was particularly expensive going for over 12 runs an over.

Even the usually miserly Daniel Vettori (none for 32 off five) did not escape as Gambhir brought up his fifty in the left-arm spinner's fifth over and the very next delivery Sehwag blasted a huge six down the ground to reach his ton.

Sehwag had just brought up his half-century when India's innings was interrupted by the rain for the first time which reduced the target to 263 off 43 overs.

Then having gone on to record his 11th one-day hundred the rain intervened again to reduce the target once more before the weather brought a premature end to proceedings.

Regardless, New Zealand, who have not lost a one-day series at home since going down 2-1 to Australia at the end of 2005, were never in the hunt and must try and regroup ahead of the fifth game in Auckland on Saturday.

New Zealand captain Vettori, back in the side after the birth of his son, won the toss and unusually opted to bat first.

But as in Christchurch a solid opening partnership between Brendon McCullum (77) and Jesse Ryder (46) was frittered away by another poor effort from the middle order, especially during the batting powerplay where two wickets fell.

The India part-time bowlers of Yuvraj Singh (one for 40) and Yusuf Pathan (one for 14) were very effective in keeping the run-rate down, while Ishant Sharma, on the comeback from a shoulder injury, got better as the match progressed to finish with figures of two for 57 off eight overs.

After a pedestrian start which resulted in just 43 runs in the first 10 overs, Ryder and McCullum went on to put together a 102-run partnership before Ryder top edged to Suresh Raina at square leg just four shy of his second half-century.

McCullum almost made India pay

McCullum, who should have been stumped by MS Dhoni when on 43, then brought up his half-century with a single off Yuvraj before getting another life on 68 when Sehwag dropped him at deep midwicket.

But by that stage Ross Taylor was already back in the dressing room having lasted 13 balls for five runs.

McCullum was next to go, trapped leg before by Zaheer Khan (one for 49) and that left New Zealand 155 for three which quickly became 156 for four as Jacob Oram (one) came and went.

Martin Guptill (25) followed shortly after as he became Sharma's second victim and the hosts were struggling at 175 for five.

Steady partnership

But Peter McGlashan and Grant Elliott (35 not out) steadied the innings well, making the most of two rain delays, and adding 95 runs to get New Zealand to a respectable 270 for five in an innings reduced to 47 overs.

McGlashan's innings was a particularly entertaining, if highly unorthodox, knock as he used the reverse sweep well and smacked one six and six boundaries in his unbeaten 56 off 42 balls.