Malik makes ideal start

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Shoaib Malik's unbeaten fifty ensured Pakistan began their ground-breaking tour of India with a five-wicket victory in the opening Twenty20 international.

Malik launched Ravindra Jadeja back over his head for six to seal the win in Bangalore with two balls to spare. The right-hander finished on 57 from 50 deliveries after a 106-run stand with skipper Mohammad Hafeez, who hit a 44-ball 61, proved decisive in pursuit of India's 133 for nine.

Shoaib Malik smashed Ravindra Jadeja for a straight six to seal Pakistan's five-wicket win over India with two deliveries left at Bangalore

International debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 3-9 from four overs, crashed through the tourists' top order to leave them 12 for three. But from there Hafeez and Malik took charge - albeit with both surviving chances - to make India pay again after they had earlier lost nine wickets for 47 runs.

This eagerly-anticipated game marked the beginning of the first bilateral series between the teams since February 2006. The rubber is set to continue with Friday's second and final T20 at Ahmedabad and three one-day internationals.

The tourists selected 7' 1" seamer Mohammad Irfan to make his T20I debut but he failed to trouble India's opening batsmen as Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir put on 77 inside 11 overs.

Rahane's dismissal, for 42 when he slapped Shahid Afridi to Umar Gul at deep extra-cover, prompted a dramatic collapse. Gul was the chief destroyer on his way to figures of 3-21 as India's next highest scorers after the openers - Gambhir made 43 - were Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina with just 10.

That sub-par total looked like it might be enough when Bhuvneshwar made a dream start to his international career. The 22-year-old right-armer found appreciable swing early on to bowl Nasir Jamshed and Umar Akmal either side of having Ahmed Shehzad caught behind.

Pakistan clawed their way out of trouble thanks to the experience of Hafeez and Malik. The former required some luck along the way, with Raina dropping a sharp chance at short cover when he was on 33.

In the 18th over Hafeez upper-cut Ishant Sharma to be caught at third man and, two balls later, India thought they had Malik when Jadeja took a marvellous catch running back from point. But after the umpires appeared to be asked to review the height of the delivery it was subsequently declared a no-ball, allowing Malik to steer the tourists into a 1-0 series lead.