After 25 overs India needed to be 147 to win the game and yet New Zealand could only amass 219 in their full 50.

The meagre total came despite New Zealand once again making a solid start. On this occasion it was Nathan Astle showing most of the early enterprise and in doing so he looked more like the player who batted so well in the last World Cup. The difference between Astle now and then is that he employs the pull a lot more and one such shot cleared the mid-wicket boundary.

Astle provided a solid foundation for New Zealand, but just when it looked like he would score a century he was beaten in the flight by Harbhajan Singh and lofted a drive to the safe hands of Hrishikesh Kanitkar. Hisdeparture prompted another New Zealand collapse and despite the best endeavours of Matthew Horne and Chris Cairns, a promising start was squandered.

the Kiwis then had a close up view of a Sachin Tendulkar batting lesson. Tendulkar has been in a rampant mood for some months now and he continued in the same vein as he finished in Sharjah. His contest with Cairns, although a little one-sided, was fascinating to watch as the burly paceman threw everything at the Little Master in an attempt to get the vital breakthrough.

As the only paceman in an injury hit bowling line-up, Cairns perhaps tried to do a little too much and paid the price as Tendulkar hammered some scintillating back foot shots. This put him in the mood for Chris Harris' wobbly little seamers and he twice cleared the rope off his bowling.

At this stage it appeared Tendulkar had an urgent dinner meeting in Colombo. He was on target for an early finish until he mistimed an attempted on-side push and the ever alert Harris claimed a brilliantcaught and bowled, flying through the air like a soccer goalie. This left Mohammed Azharuddin with the task of guiding his team to victory. he was doing it competently until the storm.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand: Bryan Young b Kumble 23, Nathan Astle c Kanitkar b Harbhajan 81, Stephen Fleming c Prasad b Harbhajan 5, Craig McMillan c Jadeja b Tendulkar 23, Matthew Horne lbw Prasad 44, Chris Cairns c Mongia b Agarkar 20, Adam Parore lbw Agarkar 1, Chris Harris c & b Agarkar 3, Mark Priest not out 4, Daniel Vettori not out 1.
Extras (lb 3, w 10, nb 1): 14
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs): 219
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-73, 3-122, 4-185, 5-204 6-209, 7-212, 8-215
Bowling: Agarkar 9-0-52-3, Prasad 7-1-21-1, Harbhajan 9-0-30-2, Robin 2-1-8-0, Kumble 8-0-31-1, Kanitkar 9-0-42-0, Tendulkar 6-0-32-0.

India: Saurav Ganguly c Parore b Cairns 4, Sachin Tendulkar c&b Harris 53, Mohd Azharuddin not out 53, Ajay Jadeja not out 17.
Extras (w-3, nb-1) 4.
Total (for two wickets):131.
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-78.
Bowling: Cairns 5-0-36-1, Vettori 6.2-0-32-0, Harris 6-0-40-1, Astle 4-0-12-0, Coiseman 3-0-11-0.

Tendulkar scales another peak