Ganguly: Led by example by the bat

Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming won the toss and opted to put India in, a decision which backfired as Ganguly and Tendulkar peppered the boundary boards from the outset.

Tendulkar began the match needing 15 to beat compatriot Mohammed Azharuddin's record total of 9,378 one-day runs and it took him just four scoring strokes.

Ganguly's strokeplay lost nothing by comparison but his running between the wickets was less assured, resulting in Tendulkar's downfall with the score on 141.

Rahul Dravid helped add 61 for the second wicket before his captain's hesitancy led to him being run out for 22.

India had the opportunity to exceed the 295 they scored in the semi-final against South Africa but lost momentum after Ganguly was deceived by Nathan Astle's slower ball and caught on the long-on boundary by Chris Harris for 117 off 130 balls, with four sixes and eight fours.

Cairns: New Zealand gambled on his fitness

They mustered only one boundary after Yuvraj Singh was out in the 46th over and had to settle for a total of 264 for six.

Venkatesh Prasad gave India an excellent start with the ball as Yuvraj took a diving catch to dismiss Craig Spearman in his opening over and followed that by trapping Fleming lbw.

Nathan Astle and in-form Roger Twose punished anything loose to take the score to 82 but the introduction of leg-spinner Anil Kumble increased India's hold on the game.

Astle gave a bat-pad catch to Robin Singh after making 37 from 48 balls and Twose overbalanced after failing to read a googly four overs later and was smartly stumped by Vijay Dahiya for 31.

Cairns and Harris came together with their side in deep trouble but kept their heads despite some accurate bowling by Tendulkar and Yuvraj, who got through their 10 overs each at a combined cost of only 70 runs.

Astle: Five boundaries in his innings

The 50 partnership arrived off 93 balls after Cairns came down the wicket to strike Tendulkar for six but they were still 80 runs short with only 10 overs left.

Harris clipped paceman Zaheer Khan for two boundaries in the 46th over as they lifted the tempo and Cairns hammered Kumble back over his head and into the car park.

India's fielding remained excellent despite the intense pressure but they could not stop Cairns reaching his hundred off 110 deliveries, with two sixes and eight fours.

The pair were finally parted after a stand of 122 when Robin Singh took a leaping catch to dismiss Harris for 46, but the latter left with his side just 11 runs away from victory.

They needed only three as Ajit Agarkar began the final over and India were powerless as Cairns deflected a full toss to backward square leg for the winning run.