Cricket World Cup: Indians strong at the death

MS Dhoni stepped in to offer his support, taking 85 from 76 balls. Photo / Getty Images

A tournament favourite receives what appears a welcome challenge, almost ends up on the wrong end of an upset, but eventually chases down a testing total to progress from pool play unbeaten.

The script from Friday night in Hamilton was repeated 24 hours later at Eden Park as India survived a serious scare against Zimbabwe to advance to the quarter-finals with six wins from six.

Just like New Zealand's narrow victory over Bangladesh a night earlier, India's final match in Pool A wasn't quite as comfortable as they might have liked, allowing a few too many runs and losing early wickets to compound the problem. But, just like the Black Caps, the heavyweights were roared on by a parochial crowd and edged across the line with six wickets and eight balls to spare.

Suresh Raina (110 from 104 balls) played the Martin Guptill role, stroking a fine century to help his side home, and able support arrived from MS Dhoni (85 from 76 balls) as the pair put on an unbeaten stand of 196 for the fifth wicket.

India will now turn their attentions to Thursday's quarter-final clash with Bangladesh in Melbourne and, despite the nervy nature of their final group outing, the defending champions will be firm favourites to book a semifinal berth.

They have now won 10-straight matches in Cricket World Cup play, with last night's triumph the toughest workout they received at this tournament. Bangladesh could only have taken confidence from how close Zimbabwe came, but there were mitigating factors.

Ravi Ashwin is unlikely to replicate his worst ODI figures, being taken for 75 from his 10 overs. India's openers probably won't be deceived by a slow pitch at the MCG, with both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan getting themselves out cheaply.

Virat Kohli will hope he avoids another freak dismissal, with an attempted sweep catching the bottom of his handle and rebounding onto the stumps. And the Bangladeshi batsmen, with apologies to Mahmudullah, will perhaps be unable to replicate the systematic way in which Brendan Taylor took apart the Indian attack.

Taylor's brilliant innings of 138 gave his side hope of ending their tournament with their biggest upset, setting India a tricky chase of 288. The only downside to his blistering knock, coming from 110 balls, was the sad fact it could be his last in a Zimbabwe uniform.

It was, at least, a hell of a way to bow out. Having come to the crease with Zimbabwe teetering on 13-2, Taylor became the only Zimbabwe batsman to score consecutive centuries at the Cricket World Cup, bringing up his ton with a spectacular ramp shot.

His dismissal prompted a mini-collapse from Zimbabwe but their total of 287 all out began to look rather imposing after the openers' exits were followed by that of Kohli. And, with the required run rate consistently hovering near nine an over, imposing could have became nigh-on insurmountable had Hamilton Masakadza taken a regulation catch when Raina was on 47.

But the ball fell to the grass, that fortune soon translated to India's highest partnership at this tournament, and the champs marched on.

Meanwhile, Australia thumped Scotland in Hobart by seven wickets to head to the quarter-finals on a high. Scotland were skittled for 130, with Mitchell Starc claiming four for 14, and Australia made light work of the chase, reaching the target in only 15.2 overs.

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