Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Asif destroyed India’s batting might as Pakistan won the third and final cricket Test by a massive 341 runs to clinch the series 1-0.

Razzaq claimed 4 -88 and Asif took 3-48 as India, set an improbable victory target of607, were shot out fnr 265 in their second innings just before stumps on the fourth day.

Yuvraj Singh played a lone hand for the tourists with 122, but could not prevent a heavy defeat in the decisive Test after the first two games in Lahore and Faisalabad ended in high-scoring draws.

It was Pakistan's best ever Test win in terms of runs, surpassing the 301-run victor}’ over Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1994.

India fell just one run short of their worst defeat - by 342 runs against world champions Australia in Nagpur in 2004.

Pakistan's remarkable win came despite the absence of their inspirational captain Inzamamul Haq due to a back injury and after they were three down for no run in the first over of the match on Sunday following Irfan Pathan's hattrick.

Pakistan, reduced to 39-6, went on to make 245 after a gutsy century from Kamran Akmal and then bowled out the Indians for 239 in their first innings to gain a sevenrun lead.

The victor}’ avenged the 2-1 defeat at India's hands in the previous home series in 2004 and made Pakistan Jinn favourites to win the five-match one-day series starting on Monday.

Asif, a tall 23-year-old from the northern town of Sheikhupura,

destroyed the top order in quick time before Razzaq polished off the middle in front of some 12,000 screaming home fans.

Asif, playing only his third Test match, dismissed Virender Sehwag, Venkatsal Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar in a hostile seven-over openingspcll.

India were reduced to 74-4 before the left-handed pair of Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj stemmed the rot by adding 103 for the fifth wicket.

Yuvraj smashed 19 boundaries and a six before he was last out, caught behind off Razzaq.

Former captain Ganguly, struggling to retain his place in die Indian team, had made 37 when he was trapped leg-before by Razzaq off the first delivery after tea.

.Razzaq then had Mahendra Dhoni (18) and Irfan Pathan (four)

She Jally ^tar

FROM PAGE 12

edging catches to the slip region as India slumped to 216-7.

Pakistan had never looked back after removing openers Rahul Dravid and Sehwag in rhe first two overs of the innings.

Skipper Dravid was given out caught at the wicket by Kamran Akmal off pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar's fifth legitimate delivery,

Sehwag was dismissed in the next over, his middle stump uprooted by a sharp in-cutter from Asif.

Laxman and Tendulkar put on 55 on either side of the lunch interval but Asif stepped in to stop both batsmen in their tracks.

Laxman was clean bowled by another in-cutter for 21 and Tendulkar had his off-stump shattered by one that kept a trifle low,

Tendulkar hit five boundaries in his 26, but his dismissal saw India slump to 74-4.

Earlier. Pakistan batted an hour into the fourth day to take their second innings from the overnight score of 511 -5 to 599-7 before the declaration came.

Faisal Iqbal moved from 103 to 139 before holing out In the deep off Zaheer Khan, ending a sixthwicket stand of 196 with Razzaq.

Razzaq hit 90, making Pakistan

the first team in Fest cricket in which all the top seven batsmen scored more than 50 in an innings.

Razzaqfell 10 short of his fourth Test century when he attempted to loft .Anil Kumble out of the ground and was caught at long-on by Yuvraj.

SCOREBOARD

Final scoreboard on the fourth day of the third and final Test between Pakistan and India at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday: PAKISTAN: First innings 245 (Akmal 113, Razzaq 45, Akhtar 45; Pathan 5-61, Kudra Pratap 3-66, Zaheer2-75)

IN DIA: First innings 236 (Yuvraj 45, Pathan 40, Ganguly 34; Asif 4-78, Kazzaq 3-67. Akhtar 2-70)

PAKISTAN: Second innings (over-night5ll-5)

Butt lbw b Ganguly 53

Farhat cTendulkar b Pathan 5?

Younis lbwb Kumble 77 Yousuf lbw b Kumble

Iqbal cTendulkar b Zaheer 139 Afridi cTendulkar b Singh 60 Kazzaq cYu vraj b Kumble 90 Akmal not out 0 Extras: (b-7, lb-7. nb-11. w-1) 26 Total: (For 7 wkts deci in 140.1 overs) 599 Fall of wickets: I -109,2-122.3-280, 4-318,5-402.6-598,7-599

Bowler O M K W

Pathan 25 3 106 I

Zaheer 28 4 103 1

Rudru Pratap 24 1 115 I

Kumble 37.1 3 151 3

Ganguly 16 I 68 I

Sehwag 10 2 0

Tendulkar 9 0 40 0

INDIA: Second innings

Sehwag b Asif

Dravid c Akmal b Akhtar 2

Laxman b Asif 21

Tendulkar b Asif 26

Ganguly lbwb Kazzaq 37

Yuvraj c Akmal b Kazzaq 122

Dhoni c Farhat b Kazzaq 18

Pat han c Iqbal b Kazzaq 4

Kumble c Farhat b Kaneria 5

Zaheer bKaneria 10

Rudra Pratap not out 0

Extras: (b-7, nb-4,w-5) 16

Total: (All out in 58.4 overs) 265

Fall of wickets: 1-8. 2-8, 3-63, 4-74, 5-177,6-208,7-216.8-231,9-251

Bowler O M R W

Akhtar 8 I 37 I

Asif 12 I 48 3

Kazzaq 18.4 0 88 4

Kaneria 18 0 75 2

Afridi 2 0 10 0

Result: Pakistan won by 341 runs and clinch three-Test series 1 -0. Man-of-the-match: Kamran Akmal.

Man-of-the-series:Younis Khan.