Dhoni leads by example

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's innings alongside Yuvraj Singh © Getty Images

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh both made half-centuries to help India claim a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first one-day international in Guwahati.

Chasing a victory target of 240, the pair shared a century partnership for the fourth wicket which allowed India to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.

Earlier, tight bowling from Harbhajan Singh and two wickets for Sachin Tendulkar helped to keep Pakistan in check - despite a valiant knock of 83 from 88 balls by Mohammad Yousuf.

India’s reply began inauspiciously with the loss of Tendulkar in the third over after he was deceived by a slower ball from Shoaib Akhtar and trapped lbw for just four with the score on 14.

Gautam Gambhir was let off twice in the space of two Shoaib deliveries as the ball flew between wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and first slip Younus Khan, with Younus certainly culpable on the second occasion.

Gambhir took advantage of his luck and combined with Sourav Ganguly to make use of the powerplay to accelerate the score on to 50 by the eighth over.

Mohammad Yousuf struck 88 off only 83 balls for Pakistan

The pair briskly moved the total on to 96 before Ganguly (39) was run out after good work by Salman Butt and Akmal.

Dhoni came to the crease and shared a brief partnership with Gambhir before the latter fell victim to Afridi for 44, failing to pick his googly.

Yuvraj and Dhoni, coming together in the 22nd over, proceeded to take the game away from the tourists.

Yuvraj reached his half-century off 66 balls in the 40th over and Dhoni passed 50 off 68 deliveries shortly after.

The duo seemed set to take India home but Abdur Rehman had Yuvraj (58) caught in the deep by Afridi after he failed to get enough power on a slog-sweep.

Dhoni departed two overs later after making 63 but Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan steered India home with three overs remaining.

Earlier, Pakistan made 239 for seven thanks largely to Yousuf's contribution.

The experienced right-hander, who became only the fifth Pakistan batsman after Saleem Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Shoaib Malik to register 10 or more 50-plus scores against India, brought up his half-century off 57 balls.

The tourists began their innings solidly with Butt and Akmal taking the score to 44 after 10 overs before Akmal was trapped lbw by Pathan for 12.

Salman Butt gave impetus to the innings © Getty Images

Butt reached his half-century off 56 balls but a mix-up with Younus saw the him run out. Butt set off to take a single after a leading edge off Harbhajan but was sent back by his partner.

Yuvraj moved quickly to his left at cover to complete a one-handed pick-up and throw to Dhoni, who broke the stumps with Butt well short.

Harbhajan struck to dismiss Younus for a pedestrian 25 from 58 balls at the end of the 29th over and Afridi joined Yousuf, who had managed just 12 runs at that stage.

But Pakistan picked up the pace through the aggressive Afridi (31 off 32 balls), who hit the only six of the innings, in the 35th over.

Yousuf struck two fours in the next over before Afridi was stumped by Dhoni off the bowling of Tendulkar (2-33) to leave Pakistan 164 for four.

Yousuf continued to prosper but Pakistan were in trouble when captain Malik became Tendulkar’s second victim when he was caught in the deep by Gambhir off a full toss.

Misbah-ul-Haq joined Yousuf in the middle and battled for 27 before being caught by Harbhajan off the bowling of Zaheer Khan in the last over.

Pakistan will have a chance to level the series when they line up for the second ODI of the five-match series in Mohali on November 8.