India vs New Zealand, SuperSport Park, Centurion

• This was the fourth time in his LOI career Nathan Astle was dismissed 'first-ball'. He also becomes the seventh Kiwi batsman to do so in the World Cup. He also becomes the third New Zealander (after Ian Smith and Ewan Chatfield in the 1987 World Cup at Nagpur) and the 13th batsman to be dismissed 'first-ball' against India in the World Cup.
• This was the fourth occasion New Zealand lost two wickets without a run on the board in LOIs. Earlier this year at Wellington on 8-1-2003, the team was in a similar position against India. Incidentally this was the worst start for the Kiwis in any World Cup match.
• The only team to lose two wickets without opening its account against India has been Pakistan at Karachi on 20-12-1989.
• During his knock of 30 runs, Stephen Fleming became the third batsman in the World Cup to aggregate 500 runs while captaining the side. Only Indian Mohammad Azharuddin (636 runs in 23 matches) and Pakistani Imran Khan (615 in 22) have made more runs as captain in the World Cup. Fleming now has 529 runs in 17 matches.
• The wicket of McCullum was Zaheer Khan's 100th of his career. By reaching this landmark in just 65 matches, Zaheer became the quickest Indian bowler to do so in least matches. Teammate Ajit Agarkar, the previous record holder, did so in 67 matches in December 2000. The LOI record is still held by Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq, who reached his milestone in just 53 matches, in May 1997.
• Zaheer, who now has 101 wickets in 65 matches, became the ninth Indian and 64th bowler in LOIs to reach the 100-wicket mark. Zaheer, meanwhile, becomes the only third left-arm pace bowler to do so after Pakistani Wasim Akram (502 wickets in 356 matches) and Sri Lankan Chamida Vaas (273 wickets in 218).
• At 24 years 158 days, Zaheer became the second youngest Indian bowler to take 100 wickets. Agarkar was 23 years 4 days when he achieved his landmark (see above).
• Zaheer's 4-42 equals his best bowling performance of his career in 65 matches. He has on two other occasions taken four wickets, while conceding 42 runs -- both against Zimbabwe at Sharjah (on 26-10-2000) and at Bulawayo (27-6-2001).  Incidentally Zaheer's previous best against the Kiwis was the 3-30 at Wellington on 8-1-2003.
• Zaheer now has the best bowling figures for India against New Zealand in the World Cup. Manoj Prabhakar had figures of 3-46 at Dunedin in the 1992 World Cup.
• The 33-run partnership between Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori was New Zealand's best for the 8th wicket against India in the World Cup, bettering the previous best of 19 runs between Andrew Jones and Stephen Boock at Bangalore on 14-10-1987.
• In 51 World Cup matches since 1975, the Kiwis were never dismissed for a total less than 150 runs. However in the previous match against Australia they made 112 at Port Elizabeth on 11-3-2003 and now three days later the team has been dismissed for a total less than 150 (146) once again!
• The match-winning unbeaten partnership of 129 runs between Mohammad Kaif and Rahul Dravid was India's best for the fourth wicket against the Kiwis in LOIs. The pair surpasses the previous best of unbeaten 105 runs between Dilip Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev at Sydney on 5-3-1985.
• The Kaif-Dravid stand also obliterates India's previous best for this wicket in the World Cup. Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja had put on 90 at Nottingham in the last World Cup on 12-6-1999.
• Kaif's unbeaten 68 was his first score over 50 since his unbeaten 111 against Zimbabwe in the ICC Trophy on 14-9-2002 at Premadasa, Colombo. During this period, he has just aggregated 253 runs, while averaging 13.32 runs per innings in 26 matches and 21 innings! His highest score was the 35 he made against Pakistan at Centurion on 1-3-2003.
• Dravid now has 1510 runs in 46 matches as keeper. His batting average is 48.71, which is by far the best by any keeper-batsman in LOI history. Zimbabwe's former wicket-keeper Andy Flower has the next best batting average of 34.73 while aggregating 5835 runs in 185 matches as keeper.
• This was India's seventh successive victory since 19-2-2003. The team is just one short of its own record of eight wins in a row from 20-2-1985 to 25-8-1985. During this period they had won the World Championships of Cricket in Australia (under Sunil Gavaskar) and the Rothman's Trophy in Sharjah (under Kapil Dev).
• India have now won four of its matches out of the six played at this venue.
• The man of the match award was Zaheer Khan's third in 65 LOI matches.