That follows a familiar trend from the test series, which New Zealand lost 3-0, and which featured repeat failures by the batting collective.
New Zealand had pulled off a fine win over Australia on the ground in the world T20 earlier this year, prospering by putting a squeeze on the Aussie batsmen in holding conditions.
They had no excuse this time, save the odd ball holding up. The innings began badly and at 65 for seven were in a desperate situation, facing the embarrassment of being dismissed for double figures for what would have been the seventh occasion in ODIs.
However Latham, who finished unbeaten on 79 off 98 balls, found support from Tim Southee, who struck a breezy 55 off 45 balls in a 71-run stand off 58 balls.
The Canterbury lefthander went on to become the first New Zealander to carry his bat through a complete ODI innings. It is also the ninth occasion the feat has been achieved.
The hope was that New Zealand, rated among the best ODI teams in the game, would discover their batting game with the change of format.
"Losing wickets at the other end dictated the way I had to play," Latham said.
"I couldn't be as free as I wanted to throughout the middle. That's the reason or batting the way I did.
"If we were only a couple (of wickets) down then obviously I'd play a different way. You adapt to playing different ways depending on the situation."
Latham acknowledged New Zealand had been "well under par" in the match.
"We'll beat most teams in the world if we play well.
"We haven't had the results we want on this tour but there's still four massive games to come. We didn't adapt quickly enough but hopefully we'll be better for the hitout.
"Hopefully we can change a few things in the next couple of days and hit the ground running (in Delhi on Thursday)."
There was plenty to worry the coaches in what they saw last night.
Martin Guptill got three boundaries in the second over of the match from debutant, and man of the match, Hardik Pandya - two of them fortuitous edges through slips - before being squared up and edging to second slip.
Captain Kane Williamson, beaten early by lively and impressive Umesh Yadav, then slashed hard and the ball flew flat and fast to third man.
Ross Taylor's miserable tour continued off his first ball when he touched a fine Yadav delivery to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, for his fourth duck in his last eight international innings.
Corey Anderson drove hard to deep mid off when Yadav took a splendid catch diving to his right; Luke Ronchi lamely chipped a catch to the same fielder for a duck; and Neesham, lobbing a gentle return catch, and Mitchell Santner, poking outside his off stump, departed in successive balls from offspinner Kedar Jadhav.
Bracewell scrapped hard in adding 41 with Latham before Southee became the first New Zealand batsman at No 10 to score an ODI half century.
He struck some clean blows, taking 27 in the space of 14 balls at one point, before swinging across the line to be caught.
All the while a composed and organized Latham worked the ball about, 39 of his runs coming in singles, before striking a four then six in consecutive Amit Mishra deliveries just before last man Ish Sodhi was dismissed.
Latham's fifth ODI half century reinforced the view that he has been New Zealand's most successful batsman on the Indian tour by a street.
Too many dismissals were far too soft.
Pandya and Yadav, both bowling at over 140kph, were impressive in sharing five wickets while Jadhav got two and Mishra three but also took some punishment.
New Zealand have won just five ODIs in India and lost 22 of their 29 matches.
The second game of the series is on Thursday night in Delhi.
