With the outcome of the series already decided, the two teams were playing for pride in the fifth ODI, in Jaipur. Praveen Kumar of India and Sarfraz Ahmed of Pakistan made their ODI debuts.
India won the toss and chose to field, but Pakistan made a reasonable start with the bat. Salman Butt and Imran Nazir put on 65 before three quick wickets reduced them to 77/3.
That though, brought Mohammad Yousuf and his captain Shoaib Malik together. They went on to share a partnership of 168, an ODI record for Pakistan against India. They faced 82 balls each. Malik scored 89, including two sixes and six fours. Yousuf, for his part, made 74, including four fours.
Although both fell in relatively quick succession, Misbah-ul-Haq kept the scoreboard ticking over with a brisk 22. Then Fawad Ali made an unbeaten 32 off 23 balls, including a six, helping his side reach 306/6.
India struggled at the start of their reply, losing Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa early. When Sachin Tendulkar was also out for 30 and Virender Sehwag for 10, there was a rebuilding job to do.
It was left to Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh to shoulder the responsibility. They shared a stand of 81 for the fifth wicket until Rohit was the next man to go. He had made 52, including a six and three fours.
Yuvraj and MS Dhoni added 45 more, but Yuvraj’s dismissal for 50 and Dhoni’s for 24 proved major blows.
Irfan Pathan made 43 off 39 balls, including a six, but the Pakistan bowlers were on top by this stage as the wickets continued to fall. India were bowled out for 275 off the penultimate ball of their innings, meaning that Pakistan had won by 31 runs.
Sohail Tanvir was the most successful of their bowlers, taking 4-53, but Player of the Match honours went to Malik, not only for his batting, but for his display with the ball as well. He claimed 3-61.
India, though, had won the series by three matches to two.