Under-strength Pakistan defeats India

Younis hit an unbeaten 123 off 117 balls and stand-in captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored an undefeated 70 off 62 deliveries, enabling Pakistan to reach the 309-run target in 45.3 overs for the loss of two wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan's second-choice bowlers restricted India to 308 for seven from its 50 overs on a flat batting wicket with fast bowler Rao Iftikhar taking three for 51.

Younis hit 11 fours and a six and, together with Misbah, shared a match-winning 144-run unbeaten third-wicket stand off 123 deliveries.

"Once we restricted them to 308, we believed it was chaseable on this flat batting wicket," Misbah said. "Whenever (Younis) plays such an excellent knock, Pakistan wins."

Playing in his 174th one-day international, Younis also became the ninth Pakistani batsmen to score 5,000 runs when he pulled leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for a boundary and reached 37.

The result left India requiring to beat defending champion Sri Lanka on Thursday to assure itself of qualifying for the final.

"It's tough especially against Sri Lanka, but as a professional cricketers we have to be ready," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "The only way we could have won today was had we got wickets, but Younis batted brilliantly and it looked as if there was no pressure on him." Pakistan, which lost to India by six wickets in the group stage, faces Bangladesh in its Super Four game Friday and if India loses Thursday, the home team could qualify for the July 6 final against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan played without captain Shoaib Malik, who was diagnosed with dehydration and failed a fitness test before the toss.

Nasir Jamshed replaced Malik at the top of the order and started Pakistan quickly along with Salman Butt, as both lefthanders combined for a first wicket of 65 off 49 deliveries.

Jamshed hit paceman Praveen Kumar for three boundaries, while Butt hit three successive fours in Ishant Sharma's first over.

Butt (36 off 31 balls) was run out while attempting a needless second run. Jamshed (53 off 43 balls) hit nine fours but had to leave the field in he 19th over with leg cramps due to severe humidity with Pakistan on 121 one one.

Chawla bowled Mohammad Yousuf (21) with a delivery that spun back sharply off the bowler's rough, and Misbah and Younis quashed any remaining hopes for India.

Earlier, Dhoni, who won the toss and elected to bat, made 76 off 96 balls while Rohit Sharma scored 58 off 71 balls - combining for 112 for the fifth wicket.

Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed took a running catch to dismiss Dhoni in the 49th over, and Sharma mistimed a pull shot and was caught in the deep.

Left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir conceded 87 runs off his 10 overs - the highest ever by a Pakistan bowler in a one-day international against India - but took the wicket of Dhoni.

Virender Sehwag scored 49 off 33 balls and Gautam Gambhir had 35 off 32 balls for India before Pakistan's bowlers claimed three wickets in space of three runs.

Shahid Afridi held onto Gambhir's fierce drive in the covers off Iftikhar before paceman Abdur Rauf - one of the three Pakistan replacements for the match - took the wickets of Sehwag and Suresh Raina in one over.

Yuvraj Singh (37) hit four boundaries before he edged Iftikhar behind the wickets as India slumped to 129 for four in the 19th over.

Newcomer off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (1-47) claimed the wicket of Yusuf Pathan (0) in his last of 10 overs - a ball after dropping the batsman off his own bowling.

Irfan Pathan - playing his first match of the tournament after recovering from a side strain - hit an unbeaten 38 off 25 deliveries to take four-time Asia Cup winner India past the 300-run mark.