Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar produced a superb innings of 95 to guide his side to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the third one-day international, at Lahore.
India was set a target of 289 after Pakistan scored 288-8 in a total bolstered by 108 scored by Shoaib Malik off 120 balls, and a typically hard hit 64 not out off 56 balls by Abdul Razzaq.
India did nothing to help its cause when conceding 11 wides and six no-balls.
Then as the Pakistan attack went into over-drive, India was foundering at 12-2. However, Tendulkar unleashed an innings that demonstrated why, on his day, he can be regarded as a player a class apart from his contemporaries.
While a batsman of Rahul Dravid's class struggled, Tendulkar overcame the moving ball, but not without offering a hard chance which wasn't accepted at third man, and another, on 36, which was more regulation down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Driving and pulling with precision, he provided the solidity after the disappointing start, that allowed a full scale assault further down the order. He added 72 with Dravid, and another 105 with Yuvraj Singh. However, on 95 and with another century beckoning, he pushed at a ball from Razzaq which flew to point where it was held.
Yuvraj ensured no let-up in the pace of scoring, reaching his half-century off 49 balls and, in partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, added 102 in 79 balls.
Dhoni hit his unbeaten 72 off 46 balls and India had its target with 20 balls to spare.
