290 was a massive target on a slow pitch against Muttiah Muralitharan [ Images ] and company. The Rediff.com expert didn't expect New Zealand [ Images ] to get past 240. The pressure index (PI) therefore opened at 144.

Stephen Fleming [ Images ] had to fire if New Zealand were to stay in the game, but Lasith Malinga [ Images ] blew him away. The PI jumped to 155.

Ross Taylor [ Images ] and Peter Fulton [ Images ] could only crawl as Chaminda Vaas [ Images ] and Malinga posed the Kiwis a bagful of problems. It was a relief when Dilhara Fernando replaced Malinga. But, at the other end, Vaas got Taylor. The PI stood at 154.

Scott Styris [ Images ], who had a marvellous World Cup, briefly took the battle back to Sri Lanka [ Images ] especially during the period when Fernando was wayward. At 105/2, with a PI of 125, New Zealand might have sensed a chance. But Styris's patience -- his greatest virtue -- once again deserted him. He charged down the wicket to Tillakaratne Dilshan [ Images ] (he had committed the same mistake against Glenn McGrath [ Images ]!) and perished.

Murali and Sanath Jayasuriya [ Images ] then mercilessly cut through the New Zealand batting. As they tottered at 116/7, New Zealand's PI was 185. Their World Cup campaign had all but ended.

Sunil T and Sunil Patil of Cranes Software created this pressure map based on the details retrieved from the Rediff scorer