Tendulkar and Ganguly steer India into final

India 270-4 Kenya 179 India win by 91 runs

India fulfilled their part of the deal here yesterday when they ruthlessly disposed of a determined Kenyan side to book their place in the 2003 World Cup final. This match was never likely to be a classic, but another impressive display from Sourav Ganguly's ever-improving team, and a victory by 91 runs, was the result this tournament desperately needed.

Following it, smiles were not only to be found on the huge travelling support that follows India wherever they play, or the tens of millions watching at home. They were also to be found on the faces of the tournament organisers because this outcome ensures that Sunday's final in Johannesburg is now contested between the two outstanding teams in the competition: Australia and India. In a tournament that has failed to grab the attention of even the most hardened of cricket fans, the World Cup now has the chance of producing a final to remember.

India's victory, as is so often the case, was built around high-quality innings from the two most successful batsmen in one-day cricket. Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly may have scored more limited-over centuries than any other players but they left nothing to chance at Kingsmead, even if they were playing against one of the minnows. From the start, under leaden skies and with rain forecast, India were determined not to give their East African opponents even the slightest sniff of a chance.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, India initially showed respect and such recognition from batsmen of this class highlights just how far Kenya have come. While the margin of defeat emphasised how far they have to go if they wish to compete successfully in the Test arena, their success here has added romance to this competition.

India's game plan was to make sure they posted a score of at least 220. By doing this they would have felt they had scored enough runs to win and prevent Kenya pulling off the biggest surprise in the history of the one-day game.

Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, with an opening partnership of 74, gave India just the start they wanted against a disciplined but limited bowling attack which is not yet good enough to make the most of helpful conditions. That this match started on time was a miracle, considering the amount of rain which fell on Wednesday, and it was not surprising that runs were hard to come by on a seaming pitch with a slow, heavy outfield.

Tendulkar, in predictably good form, was particularly severe on anything short but it was Ganguly who signalled a change of tempo halfway through their innings. At this stage India were well on the way to reaching their first goal, but the captain's decision to smash the gentle off-spin of Steve Tikolo for the first six of the game suggested he was now looking for more.

This was further emphasised in the next over when Ganguly took to Collins Obuya, the Kenyan leg-spinner, and hoicked him out of the ground twice. From this moment on India were always going to be out of sight.

Like Tendulkar, whose 83 took his tournament run tally to 669, Ganguly has had an excellent World Cup. The belligerent left-hander has not only captained well but has looked in top form with the bat and this was his third century of the tournament and his second against Kenya.

There are constant doubts over Ganguly's desire and ability to play the quick men, but against spin he is fearless. Most of the 125 runs which came off Kenya's three slow bowlers were scored by him and by the end of the innings his confidence had grown enough to take to the seamers. Indeed, his 22nd one-day hundred was brought up with a huge six off Martin Suji.

Chasing 271 under the lights of Durban was always likely to be too much for the Kenyans and, though they tried, the difference in class showed. India's trio of fast men were too quick for the part-timers, who had been reduced to 34 for 4 within the first 14 overs. From then on the result was a formality and India's first priority, other than to make sure they bowled 25 overs, so that a restart today was unnecessary, was to make sure nobody picked up an injury before Sunday.

Kenya need not, and did not, feel sorry for themselves. They return to East Africa with their reputations and bank accounts greatly in credit. For India, though, there is now the ultimate challenge. Can they prevent Australia from winning back-to-back World Cups?