Nairobi, Oct. 3 :     Nairobi, Oct. 3:  Kenya: 208/9 (50 overs) India: 209/2 (42.3 overs MoM: Anil Kumble Better safe than sorry. That seemed India's guiding mantra as Kenya's modest total in the ICC KnockOut Kenya 2000-opener was overhauled this evening. India are now in the quarter finals, where they face Australia Saturday. The Kenyans were largely looking for exposure and the Indians wanted full points. Both, then, weren't disappointed on a benign centre-wicket at the Nairobi Gymkhana. The winning runs came from vice-captain Rahul Dravid, off a square-cut. Also unbeaten was Vinod Kambli, whose last India appearance was over a year ago (Toronto). Dravid remained unbeaten on 68 (87 balls, 7x4), while Kambli had 39 (33 balls, 7x4). Having been off competitive cricket for four months was probably one reason why India didn't look to effecting a real early finish. Just as well: Australia will be an entirely different proposition and there's no better way to shake off any rust than middling the ball out in the middle. The last high-profile India versus Kenya game, in Bristol, saw the Kenyans receive a singeing lesson from Sachin Tendulkar (and Dravid). Today, that mostly came from India captain Sourav Ganguly.  It wasn't exactly a repeat if one matches the degree of aggression, but Sourav was stumped for 66 (101 balls, 7x4, 2x6) when it appeared he would roar to his 14th ODI hundred. By then, Sourav and Dravid had added 88 for the second wicket, after the captain and Sachin put on 47 for the first. Sachin was adjudged leg-before to Tony Suji by Dave Orchard. Later, Dravid and Kambli collaborated that unseparated 74 for the third wicket. But while the batsmen made it look so easy, catching the eye in a big way was debutant left-arm quick Zaheer Khan (three for 48). He was sharp and fast though, as Sourav pointed out, initially bowled a bit short. His action, by the way, is neat. If anything, Zaheer can only learn and is a fantastic investment. 'I would advise him to study Wasim Akram closely, that's all,' remarked Colin Croft, one of the all-time great quicks, while speaking to The Telegraph. In time, Zaheer's body-language alone should 'claim' a few victims. In the morning, the Kenyan innings revolved around one solid partnership (81 for the fourth wicket between Ravindu Shah and Maurice Odumbe) and one superb solo in the overs of death - an unbeaten 35 off 34 deliveries (3x4, 1x6) by Thomas Odoyo. But for Odoyo's burst, the Kenyans wouldn't have crossed the psychologically comforting 200-barrier. Kennedy Otieno's early loss pushed Kenya on the backfoot quicker than they would have liked and, really, they were reduced to only seeking to stay competitive. That, too, just about. Otieno and the now-retired Dipak Chudasma, it may be recalled, briefly held the world record for the highest first-wicket partnership (225 against Bangladesh, in late 1997). Though Otieno fell to Ajit Agarkar, the very first over, from Zaheer, saw him being struck dangerously close to the heart. Zaheer didn't get Otieno, but did make a point rarely made by Indian quicks. Basically, that even they have josh. Jimmy Kamande and Steve Tikolo were the next to go, while Ravindu remained anchored at one end. It was Tikolo's departure which brought captain Odumbe and Ravindu together. Much of their partnership saw percentage cricket but, at the same time, scoring opportunities weren't missed. Of course, it didn't help Kenya that in the possible overs of acceleration, MoM Anil Kumble was as mingy as ever. Even Yuvraj Singh, another debutant, made a decent impression. Kenya's top partnership ended when Venkatesh Prasad trapped Odumbe leg-before (54 in 87 balls, 3x4). Ravindu, who is emerging the Kenya player to watch, also fell after getting past his sixth fifty (60 off 93 deliveries, 6x4, 1x6). That six was off Prasad, to celebrate the milestone. The Kenyans' inexperience showed - and this, surely, is no fault of theirs - as six wickets crashed for a shade over 60 runs. Still, the fans' enthusiasm never quite dimmed. Incidentally, both half-centurions for Kenya will collect Kenyan Shillings 25,000 each, an incentive-offering from an insurance brokers' firm. Besides the Odoyo effort, the second half of the Kenyan innings found Zaheer collect three wickets - two in his third spell, both via yorkers, and one in his fourth and last. Barring Zaheer's opening four-over spell, the subsequent ones were all of two overs each. The captain obviously had a gameplan.