India v Pakistan 2nd ODI

Second one-day international, Mohali: Pakistan 322-6 (49.5 overs) bt India 321-9 (50 overs) by four wickets

By Paresh Soni

Younus improvised brilliantly to help set up a memorable win

Younus Khan hit a superb third one-day century as Pakistan beat India by four wickets to level their series 1-1.

A wayward display in the field allowed India to rack up 321-9, with Sachin Tendulkar making 99, Gautam Gambhir 57 and Harbhajan Singh an unbeaten 38.

Harbhajan then took two wickets to leave Pakistan in trouble on 174-4.

But Younus smacked two sixes and nine fours in his 117 off 110 balls, before Shahid Afridi belted 29 not out off 14 to seal victory with a ball to spare.

It was the ninth highest successful chase in one-dayers and keeps the series very much on the boil, with the action moving to Kanpur on Sunday.

Such a dramatic finale did not look on the cards when Tendulkar and Gambhir unfurled a series of blistering strokes to put on 173 after coming to terms with a lively surface which offered pace and bounce.

606: DEBATE Have your say on the action in Mohali

Tendulkar was ruthless on anything which strayed down the leg-side and was equally effective through the cover-point region.

Gambhir, who had initially been content to nudge the ball around, showed he too could wield the willow to good effect as he scythed several boundaries off Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik's off-spin.

When Tendulkar drove leg-spinner Afridi over long-off for six, his 42nd one-day century - and first since January - seemed a formality but he fell one short for the third time this year as Umar Gul had him caught behind.

Gambhir tamely flicked the seamer to mid-wicket shortly after that but Virender Sehwag (25) and Yuvraj Singh (34) kept the scoreboard ticking thanks to more indiscipline from Pakistan's bowlers, who conceded 31 runs in wides.

The tourists prevented total chaos by picking up five wickets for 39 runs, in which Shoaib deservedly claimed two to reward two spells of genuine hostitlity.

Tendulkar unfurled some blistering strokes to help India to a big total

Harbhajan added a late twist and more torment by swinging Rao Iftikhar Anjum over square-leg and long-on for maximums in a frenetic 20-ball effort.

Pakistan had their own burst of scoring at the start from Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt, who cut and pulled with authority in his fluent 37.

However, Akmal cut RP Singh to the reliable Yuvraj at backward point, Butt was undone by a slow off-cutter from Irfan Pathan and Mohammad Yousuf was stumped groping at a Harbhajan doosra after scratching around for 24.

Malik provided an injection of pace which seemed to spark his partner into life, Younus top-edging Sourav Ganguly for six and cutting him for four as their fifty partnership came up in 43 balls.

But when Malik drilled Harbhajan straight to long-on the game was slipping away.

Misbah realised that giving the strike to Younus was Pakistan's best hope of getting close.

And the senior batsman responded with some brilliantly improvised shots either side of the wicket as he reached three figures off 99 balls.

Misbah took that as his cue to cut loose and crashed two boundaries in an over from Zaheer, which cost 15, as the partnership reached 100 in 12 overs.

The result was back in the balance when both men were bowled, Younus by a slower Pathan delivery and Misbah by RP Singh as he walked across his crease.

Afridi actually made it look easy in the end by clubbing three boundaries in a row off Zaheer and sending RP Singh into the crowd at long-off.

Sohail Tanvir then thrashed a Pathan full-toss to the deep mid-wicket fence and a couple of singles sealed a memorable triumph.