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World Cup: Luck runs India's way as Lara is caught out

India (174-5) beat West Indies (173) by five wickets

Riding on a swell of good fortune, India beat the West Indies by five wickets under floodlights, overtaking their modest score of 173 with 10.2 overs to spare thanks to a sparkling 70 from Sachin Tendulkar.

Luck's first gift to India came early in the match, when Brian Lara, with only two to his name, was rather dubiously ruled caught behind by Pakistani umpire Khizer Hayat.

Then, when India batted, West Indies allowed Tendulkar, who otherwise played quite gloriously, two escapes, at 12 and 22. The first chance, to square leg, from a firm flick off the legs, was by no means easy.

But the other was a sitter dropped by wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, when Tendulkar top-edged a short-arm pull at Ian Bishop.

With Mohammad Azharuddin, Tendulkar repaired the damage done to the foundations of the Indian innings by Curtly Ambrose in his first three overs. Adding 70 for the third wicket, they took India further than halfway to their objective.

The wanton dismissal of Azharuddin, holing out to long on off Roger Harper, would have proved more damaging to India had Ambrose, returning for a second spell, not bowled two short balls to Vinod Kambli which were pulled and hooked for fours, relieving India of a lot of pressure.

But soon Tendulkar was run out attempting a single for which the non-striker should have called, as the ball travelled behind the wicket. West Indies tied the Indian batsmen down and Harper caught Manoj Prabhakar off his own bowling.

However, wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, completely unflustered by the growing crisis, played with a flourish and he and Kambli, subdued for a long while but now stirred to hit Harper over the top and pull Ambrose for six, closed the remaining gap of 47 in eight overs.

Richie Richardson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul firmly stopped the rot

With 20 wanted from 12 overs, Ambrose was brought back in a desperate attempt to turn the tide. But he could not summon the inspiration of his first spell, during which he rattled the stumps of Ajay Jadeja and Navjot Sidhu. His first over back cost 10 runs, leaving the issue virtually sealed.

The meagre West Indies total was as much a reflection of the limitations of their batting as it was a measure of the quality of India's bowling which, on a sound, slow pitch, was accurate apart from the early overs. No sooner had Javagal Srinath found his length than Sherwin Campbell played a square cut without adequate room and edged it on to his stumps.

In Srinath's next over came the unfortunate dismissal of Lara, caught behind. Lara showed displeasure and dismay, but not dissent at the decision. There was a distinct deflection to a peach of a ball, angled across him, but television replays showed it had come from the top of the pad.

Richie Richardson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul firmly stopped the rot and had the innings beating a healthy pulse for 19 overs, during which they added 75 without alarms. Richardson was watchful and Chanderpaul looked accomplished as he hit six fours.

The well-established partnership was broken by Prabakhar, who had bowled so indifferently at the start of the innings that he was taken off after just three overs.

Steadier now, he lured Richardson into a fatal hook, caught on the boundary's edge. Two more wickets fell in quick succession: Chanderpaul was brilliantly caught at midwicket from a pull at Anil Kumble and Roland Holder picked the wrong ball to cut.

Harper and Browne revived the innings somewhat with a partnership of 42, but could not regain lost momentum.

Man of match: SR Tendulkar