Tendulkar's ODI best of 142 (6x6, 9x4, 131 b) helped India (-0.33) pip New Zealand (-0.40) on the net run-rate for a slot in the title clash against Australia on Friday.

India were 143 for four after 31 overs, chasing Australia's target of 284-7, when the sandstorm sent the players scurrying into the pavilion. When India resumed after a 25-minute break, the new target was 276 in 46 overs.

But man-of-the-match Tendulkar went about on the rampage. And once he assured India's passage into the final, he clearly aimed to win the match off his own bat before he fell, controversially caught behind in the 43rd over.

Tendulkar was restrained by his high standards while adding 69 runsfor the second wicket with Nayan Mongia (35). The genius of Tendulkar was there for all to see under the floodlights as he attacked at will after the unscheduled break. He reached his 14th ODI century off only 111 balls with five fours and three sixes off paceman Mike Kasprowicz before launching a sensational assault. Sixes -- off Steve Waugh and Damien Fleming -- and fours flowed off his bat like a river in spate as he brought about a dramatic turnaround in the calculations.

Once he ensured India's objective of reached the first target -- of qualifying for the final -- he went about in pursuit of taking his team past Australia's formidable total which looked impossible till Tendulkar began his final assault.

He may well have achieved mission impossible had the ball which had him caught behind was declared a no ball as it was over his shoulder height. Tendulkar was gone after dominating the sixth wicket stand of 104 in 14 overs -- his partner VVS Laxman, a virtually a non-striker for the major part of thestand.

It was an innings which Ravi Shastri said on TV was Tendulkar's best in all ODIs -- an knock of such rare brilliance that people forgot that Australia won the match by 26 runs and had their two own heroes in centurion Michael Bevan (101 not out) and Mark Waugh (81). Tendulkar's innings under pressure was a great advert for the tournament and the sponsors promptly rewarded the Little Champion with a cheque of 20,000 pounds.