Azharuddin scored a splendid century but day belonged to the great man. He arrived only yesterday from India courtesy the whimsies of Indian selectors. He was visibly sluggish with jet lag. Who would have blamed him if he had slogged at a few and lucked it out in match of no consequence?

It was not a pretty sight as Sachin dug himself in the early part of the innings. After Azhar won the toss for the fifth straight time -- the man should return to India via Las Vegas or Montecarlo -- he surprise,surprise opted to bat first. The early innings labour was compounded by Saurav Ganguly's inability to get going or rotate the strike. He poked around for nearly an hour making 9 in 29 balls, as Sachin sleepwalked his way into double figures. Sidhu was out first ball leg before when he only half forward. At 35 for 2 in around the tenth over, the innings had been robbed of the early momentum.

Despite having won the cup the Pakistanis bowled tightly and gave nothing away. Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mehmood bowled in the corridor to a good length and gave no freebies. Timing eluded Sachin time and again denying him even the oxygen of singles. He looked ruefully at his bat many times. The crowd waited patiently as he crawled to 26 with two edgy boundaries and India made only 50 in 17 overs. The introduction of the pacier Mohammed Zahid produced the first authentic boundary as Sachin swivelled on his back foot and crashed a short one to wide mid on, the ball scorching the turf. The valve opened, if not the floodgate,opened. Soon after, Zahid was brutalised for three boundaries in an over as Sachin presented the crowd with a half century worth far more.

He was purring along at 77 towards what would have been a record 18th hundred when he hit Sohail down Inzaman's throat at midwicket. As he dragged himself away from the wicket the gentry at the pavilion gave him an ovation for not so much for the runs he made but the attitude he displayed. Azhar stroked his way to his 7th hundred looking his usual elegant self after the usual early innings struggle. The amazing thing about the Indian captain is the unobtrusiveness with which he makes runs, a flick here, a nudge there and before anyone realises it, he off and away past a half century. He brought up the first Indian century with straight six of Saqlain, who bowled with masterly cunning, and was out caught and bowled next ball. The rest of the innings spluttered, but Zimbabwe discard Sunil Joshi savaged 19 in seven balls as India steamed past 250. They can go back with aconsolation win if they bowl and field well.

India: S Ganguly c Inzamam b Mahmood 9, S Tendulkar c Inzamam b Sohail 77, N Sidhu b Mahmood 0, M Azharuddin c and b Saqlain 101, A Jadeja b Afridi 5, N Mongia c Afridi b Saqlain 8, S Raul lbw Saqlain 0, J Srinath c Moin b Sohail 10, A Agarkar not out 15, S Joshi c Inzamam b Saqlain 19.

Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-8) 12.

Total (for nine in 50 overs): 256.

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-35, 3-156, 4-175, 5-207, 6-213, 7-213, 8-227, 9-256.

Bowling: Aaquib 7-0-26-0, Azhar 10-2-30-2, Zahid 5-1-29-0, Saqlain 10-0-67-4, Aamir 10-0-59-2, Afridi 8-0-43-1.