• Sachin Tendulkar, during his knock of 81, has now become the highest run-getter against Zimbabwe. He has 1330 runs in 32 matches. He went past the previous record aggregate of 1279 runs (in 31 matches) held by teammate Sourav Ganguly. Incidentally, Tendulkar’s aggregate of 1330 runs was also the highest among batsmen from both sides - Andy Flower has 1298 runs in 36 matches.
• Tendulkar’s 81 equals his highest score against Zimbabwe in the World Cup. He had made an identical score at Wellington in 1992.
• Tendulkar has now made eight fifties in the World Cup which puts him at level with England’s Graham Gooch, New Zealander Martin Crowe, Pakistan’s Javed Miandad and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin.
• The 99 run partnership between Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar is India’s best for the first wicket against Zimbabwe in a World Cup match. The previous best was the 76 between Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth at Mumbai in 1987.
• This was only the second opening stand of 99 runs in the World Cup. The Pakistani pair of Majid Khan and Sadiq Mohammad had put on 99 against Australia at Nottingham in 1979.
• This was also the second such partnership by an Indian opening pair after Sourav Ganguly and Tendulkar too had put on 99 runs against Pakistan at Hobart in 2000.
• This was the 12th occasion in ODIs where the opening pair had missed a century partnership by just one run. Meanwhile, Sehwag and Tendulkar became the first to record a 99 run partnership for the first wicket against Zimbabwe. The Kiwi pair of Rod Latham & Mark Greatbatch at this venue in 1992 and the Australian pair of Adam Gilchrist & Mark Waugh at Sydney in 2001 had put on 98 for the first wicket against the Zimbabweans.
• The above partnership was by far India’s best for the first wicket against the home team in Zimbabwe outstripping the previous best of 44 runs between Ganguly and Tendulkar at Bulawayo in 1998.
• Saurav Ganguly (3-22) recorded his best bowling figures in a World Cup match. His previous best was the 3-27 against England at Birmingham in 1999.
• The 36 run partnership between Tatenda Taibu and Heath Streak is Zimbabwe’s best against India for the eighth wicket in World Cup. The pair obliterates the previous best of 31 runs between Andy Pycroft and Babu Meman at Mumbai in 1987.
• This was India’s seventh win against Zimbabwe in eight World Cup matches since the first in 1983.
• The victory margin of 83 runs is also the largest for India against Zimbabwe in the World Cup. The previous largest win was by 55 runs at Hamilton in 1992.
• Sachin Tendulkar won his 46th Man of the Match award. This was also his sixth in 25 World Cup matches – maximum by any player. He was earlier at level with West Indian Viv Richards, England’s Graham Gooch and South African Lance Klusener with five awards each.

(Article: Copyright © 2003 Rajneesh Gupta)