Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni came together once again to unleash exhilarating strokeplay as India wrapped up the one-day series 4-1 with a resounding eight-wicket victory against Pakistan today.
Chasing a stiff target of 287, Yuvraj notched up his sixth one-day ton with an unbeaten 107 while Dhoni scored another blazing knock of 77 off just 46 balls to steer India to victory with 19 balls to spare.
It was yet another clinical performance by Rahul Dravid's men as they overhauled the target without much a do although at one stage things did appear a little tight with the required run rate zooming pasteight runs an over in the fifth and final one-dayer at the National Stadium.
But the fact that the Indians did not lose many wickets helped them in the end, Dhoni capping the efforts of his senior teammates -- Dravid (50) and Yuvraj withgusto.
Pakistan paid a heavy price for sloppy fielding and at times wayward bowling to see the series end on a sorry note after the euphoria of winning the Test series 1-0.
When the third-wicket pair joined forces at 141 for 2 in the 31st over, India required a hefty 146 in 19.4 overs. But Dhoni's second blitz in three matches, after his sensational 72 not out in 46 balls at Lahore in the third ODI, made a mockery of thearithmatic involved. Yuvraj, who needed a runner towards the end after developing cramps, faced 93 balls and hit 15 fours in his unbeaten innings, while Dhoni slammed 4 sixes and six fours in his whirlwind innings.
The Ranchi-born wicketkeeper, who smashed 28 runs in the last two overs of the match, also put on 146 runs in 99 balls, with Yuvraj, declared man of the series.
The same pair had guided India to a five-wicket victory in the third ODI at Lahore with an unbroken stand of 102 runs.
It was India's fourth win on the trot in the series and second successive triumph on Pakistani soil after the 3-2 victory in 2004.
Significantly, India's emphatic win came despite the absence of key players Sachin Tendulkar and Irfan Pathan who were rested for the inconsequential tie.
India, set an asking rate of 5.74 to win the final match of their 45-day tour, responded with a calm start with openers Gautam Gambhir (38 in 50 balls with six fours) and skipper Dravid (50 in 82 balls with six fours) combining forces to put up 69 runs in 15 overs.
Gambhir, who got a chance to play following the shoulder injury to Virender Sehwag, was again guilty of throwing his wicket away afterbeing well set.
After escaping being caught when Mohammed Sami lost sight of the ball, Gambhir (38) chased a wide ball from Rao Iftikhar Anjum to be caught behind. Dravid and Yuvraj then put on 72 runs in 92 balls as the Indian 100 came up in the 23rd over.
However, Dravid fell soon after completing his second successive half century of the series, driving Sami and succeeding only inoffering a catch to mid-on fielder Younis Khan. It was his 67th half century in his 280th ODI.
The in-form Yuvraj, who came into this match with scores of 39, 82 not out, 79 not out and 37, went on to compile his 23rd half century in 52 balls to also bag the man of the match award.
Dhoni waded into the Pakistan bowling, slamming Sami and Mohammed Asif for two sixes each in the 46th and 47th overs before taking a single to complete the victory.
Earlier, rookie pacer S Sreesanth took three wickets in 12 balls before Pakistan recovered through the Y combine of Mohammed Yousuf and Yonuis Khan to post a fighting 286 for eight wickets.
Sreesanth struck once each in his first three overs to apply the brakes on Pakistan who seemed to be flying off after being asked to bat first, thanks to the fine start provided by openers Kamran Akmal (25) and Imran Farhat (24).
Both were sent packing in the span of 12 balls by the Kerala-born bowler who took the two wickets off his own bowling.
Reduced to a shaky 115 for four in the 22nd over, Pakistan then rode on half centuries by the two Y's, India's scourge on the tour, to bail themselves out.
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Yousuf hit 67 off 85 balls with 6 fours and vice-captain Younis made 74 not out in 79 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to put up a partnership of 95 runs in 110 balls.
Abdul Razzaq played a cameo knock of 24 in 15 balls with two fours and a six in the slog overs before Younis slammed two sixes in Zaheer Khan's final over of the innings.
The hosts added 76 runs in the last ten overs with Zaheer's last over costing 18 runs as Pakistan made amends for the early lapses.
However, the Indian bowlers started off on a positive note with Sreesanth being the most impressive.
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The Kerala bowler, who had bowled well but without luck earlier in the series struck off his fifth ball to dismiss Farhat (24), caught and bowled off a mistimed pull.
Nine runs later and off the first ball of his second over, Sreesanth got rid off the other opener Akmal too, through another effectively bowled short ball which the batsman hooked straight down to Rudra Pratap Singh at long leg to leave Pakistan 71 for 2 in the 13th over.
Sreesanth, who had taken two wickets in three balls, grabbed his third in 12 balls when he induced an outside edge of Shoaib Malik's bat. The edge flew to wide second slip fielder Suresh Raina who dived to his left to latch on to it.
Within a span of five overs, Pakistan slid to 77 for three from 62 for no loss and the Indians were a charged-up lot with the dismissal ofMalik.
PTI
