Zaheer removes McCullum's off stump (Getty Images)

By Myles Hodgson, PA Sport Cricket Correspondent, Centurion

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New Zealand face 24 hours of torment waiting to discover whether their World Cup challenge is over after they missed another opportunity of progressing to the semi-finals for the fifth time.

Needing victory over India to oust rivals Sri Lanka and progress into the last four, they instead slumped to a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat having contributed to their own downfall once again.

It leaves them depending on Zimbabwe beating Sri Lanka in East London on Saturday to set up a semi-final showdown with Australia in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, fearing they have allowed the chances of progression to quite literally slip through their hands.

Having been restricted to a modest 146 by India's improving trio of seam bowlers, Zaheer Khan this time spearheading their efforts with four for 42, New Zealand's chance appeared to have gone until the new ball was handed to improving fast bowler Shane Bond.

Only three days earlier he had destroyed the best team in the world, claiming six for 23 against Australia to leave them reeling on 84 for seven and New Zealand in reach of the semi-finals.

Instead of that career-best performance laying the foundations for a famous victory, however, Australia fought back to claim a superb 96-runs triumph and set up Friday's opportunity, which once again they failed despite a promising start to India's reply when they slipped to 21 for three.

Just like Tuesday's disappointing result, New Zealand missed the chance to firmly enforce their superiority and when the opportunity came it was spilled with Rahul Dravid edging Bond behind on one only for wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum to spill a regulation catch.

As mistakes go it was perhaps not quite as telling as South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs' infamous drop of Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup - an error which allegedly led the Australian captain to remind him that he had "just dropped the World Cup" - but it was not far off.

Chasing down such a relatively small target comes almost as second nature to Dravid, whose superbly-paced innings allowed Mohammed Kaif to play the more aggressive role and enabled India to chalk up their seventh successive victory in the competition.

As if to emphasise the gravity of McCullum's mistake, Dravid played an almost faultless innings and finished unbeaten on 53 from 89 balls while Kaif progressed to 68, the pair both using the opportunity almost as batting practice before next Thursday's semi-final against Kenya in Durban.

They had their narrow escapes, both batsmen driving just short of wide of despairing New Zealand fielders, but by the end they were totally in command of a demoralised New Zealand unit having forged a superb 129-run partnership spanning nearly four hours.

Perhaps it was that in mind which persuaded captain Sourav Ganguly to field after winning the toss, a decision which was vindicated before the end of the opening over with Zaheer striking twice to immediately plunge New Zealand into trouble.

Brought into the team to lend greater experience, Craig McMillan lasted only two deliveries before clipping a half-volley straight to square leg and was followed next ball by Nathan Astle, trapped leg before in his crease to a straight delivery.

Those early breakthroughs were swiftly followed by further successes for Ashish Nehra and Javagal Srinath, who ended captain Stephen Fleming's determined innings of 30 from 59 balls, as New Zealand slipped to 60 for five and in danger of failing to reach three figures.

Unlike their demolition by Australia earlier this week, when Brett Lee blew away the tail with high quality fast bowling, this time the middle and lower order were responsible for at least guiding them beyond three figures.

Chris Cairns contributed a sprightly 20 before falling to Harbhajan Singh, attempting to upper cut but instead picking out backward point, while Chris Harris became Zaheer's fourth victim when he was trapped leg before in his crease.

Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram took New Zealand beyond the three figures barrier with a useful 35-run stand but, by the time last man Daryl Tuffey gave Dinesh Mongia a simple return catch, the likelihood of that total really testing India looked improbable.

Those chances increased, though, with Bond's early spell tempting Virender Sehwag into a risky shot outside off stump which was superbly caught by Scott Styris at second slip before he produced an outstanding inswinging yorker to knock back Ganguly's off-stump.

Sachin Tendulkar responded predictably by hitting three successive fours off Tuffey's next over, but even a player of his immaculate shot selection misfires occasionally and he picked out Oram in the gully off the next delivery.

At 21 for three New Zealand's tails were up, looking to seize on every opportunity - but when it came their way wicketkeeper McCullum allowed Dravid to escape and their World Cup dream faded with every minute he remained at the crease.