India have posted a competitive target of 279 after changing tactics and batting first against New Zealand in the fourth one-day international in Hamilton.

Opener Rohit Sharma (79 off 94 balls) laid the foundation on Tuesday before unbeaten blasts from captain MS Dhoni (79 off 73) and Ravindra Jadeja (62 off 54) carried the tourists to 5-278 after Dhoni surprisingly elected to bat first.

India won the toss in the first three games of the series and opted to bowl – resulting in losses at Napier and Hamilton and a tie in Auckland on Saturday.

The skipper was as influential as ever after his team made a sluggish start at Seddon Park, with Sharma forced to play a steady knock as a series of teammates departed to skied cross-bat shots.

Sharma was fortunate to survive beyond 14, when a straightforward chance was dropped by Ross Taylor at first slip off Tim Southee.

Dhoni, whose series scores are 40, 56, 50 and 79, put on 127 from the last 16.5 overs with Jadeja, who continued his blistering form with the bat from the Eden Park game.

They scored 100 from the last 10 overs, with Hamish Bennett (1-67 off nine overs) and James Neesham (0-59 off eight) suffering most.

An experiment to open with the in-form Virat Kohli backfired when he hoisted Southee to Neesham at midwicket when on two.

Ajinkya Rahane (three) and Ravi Ashwin (five) also played rash shots while Ambati Rayudu (37) helped rectify the poor start on a pitch lacking pace.

Rayudu and debut allrounder Stuart Binny were India’s two changes from the Auckland game, replacing opener Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina.

New Zealand also made two changes, recalling seamer Kyle Mills for Mitchell McClenaghan and giving allrounder Neesham his first start of the series in place of the in-form Corey Anderson.

Southee was the pick of the Black Caps’ bowlers, taking 2-36.

Mills also completed 10 overs impressively, taking 1-42.