LAHORE, 25 March 2004 — India rode on an all-round team effort to clinch their maiden One-Day Series in Pakistan with a 40-run victory at the overflowing Gaddafi Stadium here. Pakistan were all out for 253 after failing in the chase of India’s 293 for seven.

India won the series 3-2 to record their first title win in Pakistan after five failed attempts between 1978 and 1997. The Indians, who have also never won a Test match in Pakistan, will attempt to rectify that record when the three-Test series starts in Multan on Sunday.

India’s effort was all the more impressive as they were without their captain Saurav Ganguly, who hurt his lower back as he trundled to save a boundary. But the team, led by Rahul Dravid, then played with extra zest to build on their advantage of a big score and some early inroads into the Pakistan innings.

And ironically it was Sachin Tendulkar’s ton that turned the match on its head. Tendulkar’s catch of the match was his 100th in One-Day Internationals and it also brought about the end to Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq’s innings. The diminutive Tendulkar raced along the ropes, lunged at the lofted Inzamam shot off Murali Kartik and plucked the ball out of the air in one swift motion while doing a balancing act in trying to avoid the boundary.

Taking a leaf out of Tendulkar’s book, the Indian fielders covered extra ground in their bid to cut off the runs and also Pakistan’s effort of a rearguard action. Pakistan nearly did pull out a rabbit out of the hat with Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan taking the attack to India.

But once Malik fell so did Pakistan’s scoring rate and their hopes.

Earlier Venkatsai Laxman hit 107 off 104 balls in India’s innings, and with all pitching in with useful contributions the total swelled dramatically. Then the batsemn’s good work was bolstered by the Indian bowlers, who bowled to a line and diligent in controlling the extras. With first Ganguly and then Dravid marshalling the bowling and the field placements to a finesse, it was a tough task for Pakistan.

Dravid’s clever use of Tendulkar and Sewagh as the fifth and sixth bowler also played a dominant part in the victory. But it was young seamer Irfan Pathan who tore the heart out of Pakistan’s innings with a superb 3-32 in 10 overs.

Pakistan, who at one point were reduced to 96-6, had their pride restored by an aggressive 72 off 71 balls from Moin Khan. The doughty wicketkeeper added 99 for the seventh wicket with Shoaib Malik (65) and 53 for the eighth with Mohammad Sami (23), but it was not enough to deny India victory.

Ganguly hurt his lower back when he dived to stop a drive from his Pakistani counterpart Inzamam and had to be taken off the field in a stretcher.

Indian manager Ratnakar Shetty said Ganguly was in “intense pain” while being treated in the dressing room by team physiotherapist Andrew Leipus. “We will consult a specialist today morning so see how serious the injury is,” media manager Amrit Mathur said.

Laxman’s sixth One-Day hundred steadied the tourists after Inzamam won his fifth toss in a row and elected to field in the day-night game. Laxman, who managed just 27 runs in three previous innings in the series, struck 11 boundaries before he holed out against off-spinner Malik.

India plundered 19 runs in the last two overs due to belligerent batting by tailenders Pathan (20 off 12 balls) and Laxmipathy Balaji (10 off six).

Among the 25,000 fans at the overflowing stadium was Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who watched the match for an hour alongside Indian industrialist Nusli Wadia, the grandson of Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Bombay-based Wadia was a special invitee of the Pakistan government to the match, part of India’s first full tour of the neighbors since 1989.

India’s total was identical to Pakistan’s in the fourth One-Dayer at the same venue on Sunday, which the tourists surpassed with five overs to spare. But Pakistan’s hopes were dashed by left-arm seamer Pathan, who ripped through the top order to reduce the rivals to 58-4 by the 13th over.

Pathan trapped Yousuf Youhana leg-before for one, clean bowled Taufiq Umer and then had Younis Khan caught at point by Yuvraj Singh with a well-disguised slower ball.

At the other end, new-ball partner Balaji bowled Yasir Hameed and had danger man Abdul Razzaq driving to mid-off as Pakistan slipped to 96-6. Inzamam, who hit centuries in the first and fourth matches, managed only 38 when he was superbly caught by Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, one-day cricket’s most successful batsman, had earlier failed to make 50 for the sixth successive time in a major final when he was dismissed for 37. Laxman was helped in the recovery by Ganguly, who made 45 in a third-wicket stand of 92.

Laxman was adjudged Man of the Match for his superb ton while Inzamam was awarded Man of the Series.