Butt slammed a solid 101 to help Pakistan post a big total of 319-9 on a good batting pitch on Saturday. Rana Naved then restricted India to 213 with his superb effort with the ball.

The tourists kept alive their hopes with the first win in the six-match series. They had lost the first two games at Cochin and Visakhapatnam.

Pakistan's total was never under threat as Rana Naved ripped through the top order to virtually reduce the match to a no-contest. They had wrapped up the game when they sent India reeling at 82-6 in 17 overs.

Lower-order batsman Irfan Pathan top-scored with an aggressive 64 in a dismal Indian batting performance, but it came too late to stop Pakistan from completing an emphatic victory.

"We desperately needed a win here," said Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

"Rana and Mohammad Sami bowled very well in early overs and that put pressure on India. I'm happy the boys rose to the occasion. Team effort was the key to success."

Rana Naved rocked India when he had in-form opener Virender Sehwag (two) caught by Shahid Afridi at point in his opening over.

India skipper Sourav Ganguly's poor form continued as he made just four runs before being caught by Younis Khan at second slip off Rana while trying to drive away from the body.

Mahendra Dhoni (28), who scored 148 in the previous match, failed on his home ground, he miscued a pull to be caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Rana Naved, whose previous best was 4-25, then had Yuvraj Singh caught behind to bag 4-24 in his opening seven-over spell.

"I think it was a sporting track and my aim was to keep a good line and length," said Rana Naved, named man of the match.

Fast bowler Sami also kept pressure on the Indian batsmen in the initial overs, removing star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar (six) and Rahul Dravid (28) to ensure a comfortable victory for his team.

"They outplayed us in this match," said Ganguly. "A target of 320 is big on any surface. We did not have a chance after losing so many wickets in early overs."

Pakistan were indebted to Butt for scoring a challenging total after electing to bat.

The left-handed opener, 20, put his team on the right track with a 145-run stand for the second wicket with Shoaib Malik (75). He hit 10 fours in his second century before being run out.

Butt's previous hundred also came against India at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta last year.

His stand with Malik came off 154 balls after opener Afridi was caught in the slips by Dravid off left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra.

Nehra also dismissed Inzamam (23) with the first ball of his second spell before accounting for Rana Naved to finish with 3-57.

Malik batted aggressively in his 79-ball knock, hitting seven fours and two sixes. Yousuf Youhana scored a brisk 43 off 31 balls.

The remaining matches will be played at Ahmedabad (April 12), Kanpur (April 15) and New Delhi (April 17).

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)