Zaheer Khan spurs India to comprehensive win Things could have started going for New Zealand earlier in the match, by only by one ball. Off the second delivery, Zaheer Khan had Craig McMillan caught at square leg, and it was all downhill after that. Or uphill, if you were Zaheer Khan; taking four wickets for 42, Zaheer became the fastest Indian to 100 ODI wickets, en route to seeing New Zealand bowled out for 146. None of the Kiwi batsmen looked even remotely comfortable at the crease, and what was a do-or-die game for them became a rather one-sided affair. Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey looked to heat things up a touch when they had India at 21 for three, Sehwag, Ganguly and Tendulkar back in the hut. But Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif hit 53 and 68 respectively, steering India home to a seven-wicket win in the 41st over. New Zealand's hopes of making the semi-finals were positively dashed the next day, with Sri Lanka beating Zimbabwe comfortably.

We don't want to give it away now - Ganguly India's captain Sourav Ganguly saluted his side after they bowled New Zealand out for 146 and rebuilt from a potentially catastrophic position early on to secure their seventh consecutive World Cup win. "I thought we were splendid in the field, it was absolutely fantastic," said Ganguly. "We lost a couple of early wickets but it was good to see someone turn up and win the game for you." "We have done very well so far but we have still got the important stage to come. We have come so far we don't want to give it away." Of his decision to bowl first, he said: "This was our third game on this wicket and I had a feeling the ball would come on to the bat better in the second half." New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming admitted his side had not been up to standard when given first use of the pitch. "It was a poor performance batting wise. We were never in the game," he said. "There was nothing in the pitch, if anything it should have favoured us bowling later in the day but 146 was not going to cut it." "We were either all or nothing on other days," Fleming added. "We are disappointed it has to come to that [a Zimbabwe victory] but good luck to Zimbabwe." Man of the Match Zaheer Khan, who took four wickets for 42 runs, said he is glad that he is finally bowling to his potential. "I was the one (among the three pacemen) who was not bowling up to my best, but today I came good. We (himself, Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra) are now clicking as a unit."

Ponting rates Tendulkar best batsman Overlooking his own players, Ricky Ponting has rated Sachin Tendulkar the best batsmen of his generation as Australia and India head towards the World Cup final at Johannesburg on Sunday. Placing Tendulkar higher on the pecking order than the likes of Matthew Hayden and the Waugh twins, Ponting admitted the diminutive 29-year-old from Bombay had the ability to win any match off his own bat, including the decider. "I've always thought he's the best batsman I've seen or played against," said Ponting. "Looking at the way he's played of late I think he's getting somewhere back to his best again. We're going to have to come up with some plans and bowl very well if we come across him to make sure he doesn't get away."

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