Tendulkar - top scored for India (Getty Images).

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India earned themselves a World Cup reprieve just as Zimbabwe saw their fleeting dreams of a Super Six place all but disappear as the visitors triumphed by 83 runs at Harare Sports Club.

Pride of place went to India's two most experienced players. Man of the match Sachin Tendulkar led an Indian batting revival with a masterly 81, while Javagal Srinath broke the back of the Zimbabwe innings with a superb opening bowling spell.

Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak put India in to bat on winning the toss, anticipating early life and movement in the pitch.

Unfortunately he was let down by his bowlers, who allowed India to make an ideal start.

Virender Sehwag, promoted to open the Indian innings in place of captain Sourav Ganguly, took the early initiative with four off-side boundaries in Andy Blignaut's first two overs.

Blignaut, returning after missing a month with a broken finger, was quickly removed from the attack, but Zimbabwe's other seamers were little more threatening.

Tendulkar began carefully but he later opened out to reach 50 off 57 balls before the accurate medium-pace of Guy Whittall finally achieved the breakthrough.

Sehwag, cutting, was very well caught by keeper Tatenda Taibu standing up to the stumps. He had scored 36 in an opening stand of 99.

Accurate bowling from Whittall and Grant Flower slowed the scoring rate and, in the 28th over the balance of the match suddenly changed, as Dinesh Mongia and Tendulkar fell in quick succession.

Tendulkar tried to turn Flower to leg, missed and was bowled for 81 off 91 balls. India had lost two wickets on 142 and had to rebuild.

The partnership between Ganguly and Rahul Dravid had added 40 and was looking threatening when Ganguly, who made 24, was out.

He was quickly followed by Yuvraj Singh and India were 184 for five from 39 overs.

Dravid held the latter stages of the innings together with an innings of 43 not out, but India must have been rather disappointed with their total of 255 for seven after such a good start.

Srinath, bowling with great skill and accuracy, ensured that Zimbabwe were unable to enjoy the sort of start that India had.

Mark Vermeulen fell in the first over, while Craig Wishart made 12 before dragging a ball on to his stumps.

For once Andy Flower did not inspire confidence, playing and missing on several occasions as well as offering two chances, one a catch and the other a run-out opportunity.

He never looked anything but distracted, and was finally out for 22 in uncharacteristic fashion, bowled behind his legs sweeping at Harbhajan Singh with Zimbabwe on 48 for three.

Grant Flower and Dion Ebrahim concentrated on sensible accumulation, but the required scoring rate had risen to more than seven an over.

Both fell in the same over, soon followed by Blignaut, all skying big hits off Ganguly and Zimbabwe were in dire straits.

Whittall, Heath Streak and Taibu all batted entertainingly as Zimbabwe sought to lose with honour.

The final total was 172 so they could be said to have achieved that objective to a point.