Yadav and Pathan ensured the defeat margin was not bigger with their 118-run ninth wicket stand from 144 balls. It was remarkable for India to come thus far as at one stage they were in real danger of finishing less than their worst ever score of 54 in one-day internationals.
From the Indian perspective, no praise can be too high for the ninth wicket pair who defied and even dominated the New Zealand attack in the middle overs before Bond came back to eject Pathan from the middle and in the next over Yadav hoiked one to mid-off.
Yadav, who had played only two ODIs so far, way back in 2002 against the West Indies at home, scored a creditable 69 from 92 balls with 11 fours and one six while Pathan smote 50 from 61 balls with three fours and a six.
Early Indian batsmen surrendered the advantage which their bowlers had seized so magnificently bowling first in early cool conditions which encouraged the swing of Pathan and Ashish Nehra.
It all began in Bond's second's over when captain Ganguly (5) and Venugopal Rao (0) were hustled out off successive deliveries and from there on, it was only a speedy downhill for the Indians.
Ganguly survived the first torrid over from Bond with most of the balls bouncing dangerously around his face but in the second an involuntarily defensive jab on the onside was gloved to the wicketkeeper behind the stumps. Rao, batting for only the second time in his career, was a wrong choice to weather the storm and a straight yorker found its target with the precision of a missile.
Rahul Dravid (5) became Bond's next victim when he shaped a cut and underedged on to his stumps. Yuvraj Singh followed him from the other end when he flirted with an outswinger from Andre Adams into second slipsto have India reeling at 19 for 4 in the seventh over.
Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif offered a brief hope of revival before Bond again made his presence felt.
Kaif cut fiercely but straight into the hands of Craig McMillan at third man. Then Sehwag's square drive was astonishingly held by Hamish Marshall diving at the point region.
Ajit Agarkar (2) departed in the 14th over and it seemed only a matter of time before the innings would meet its dreadful end.
But Yadav and Pathan earned some batting points for themselves, more so the former who needed to make his presence felt.