New Zealand crashed out of the Compaq Cup triangular series following a comprehensive six-wicket defeat to India at Colombo.

After scoring just 119 in their series opening defeat to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, the Kiwis managed just 155 at the same venue before India booked a final date with their sub-continent rivals.

Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh did the damage with the ball, the pair sharing six wickets between them as Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori top scored with 25.

And despite losing opener Dinesh Karthik in the third over, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 not out) and Suresh Raina (45no) guided India home with 9.3 overs remaining.

After winning the toss, New Zealand made a dreadful start as aggressive openers Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum fell to the left-arm seam of Nehra inside the opening three overs.

And when RP Singh had Ross Taylor caught by Dhoni behind the wicket for 11, the Black Caps were reeling on 19-3 inside six overs.

Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott halted the run of wickets briefly, however when both players departed for 22 in quick succession, New Zealand were back in trouble on 66-4.

Jacob Oram (24) and Neil Broom (21) edged New Zealand past the 100-run mark but the former presented Ishant Sharma with an easy return catch, while Broom was Yuvraj's third victim as New Zealand plummeted further.

Vettori launched a mini-fightback of his own with a spirited 25, however Nehra polished off the innings when he returned to ensure the Black Caps posted a poultry 155.

Pace bowler Kyle Mills gave New Zealand early hope of an unexpected victory when he trapped Karthik lbw, however Sachin Tendulkar's composed 46 put India firmly back on course.

Vettori bowled beautifully, his 10 overs costing just 33 runs and also containing the wickets of Tendulkar and Yuvraj (8).

Tendulkar fell four short of his 92nd ODI half-century - the 'Little Master' chipping tamely to cover and Yuvraj picking out Guptill at deep midwicket.

However, Raina and captain Dhoni took India from 84-4 past the total with an unbroken and relatively untroubled 72-run partnership.