Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq struck a masterly 122 but was unable to prevent a thrilling five-run victory for India in the highest scoring match in one-day international history on Saturday.
Pakistan, chasing a record 350 to win, needed nine runs for victory from the final over of the series opener at the National Stadium, but left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra denied them with a series of accurate, full-length deliveries.
Moin Khan, attempting to hit a six for victory off the last ball, was caught at cover for 16 as Pakistan finished on 344 for eight in their 50 overs, their third highest total in one-dayers and the best ever by a side batting second.
India had amassed a record 349 for seven, their highest total against Pakistan, with Rahul Dravid falling one short of a century after Virender Sehwag set the tone with a 57-ball 79.
The match aggregate of 693 runs was the highest in one-day international history.
Yousuf Youhana, who made 73, and Inzamam shared in a third wicket stand of 135 to put Pakistan on track for a record-breaking victory.
Although Youhana was removed by Sehwag in the 28th over, Inzamam and Younis Khan (46) maintained the momentum with a fourth-wicket partnership of 109 in 15 overs.
The 34-year-old Inzamam finally departed in the 32rd over, caught behind by Dravid off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, having hammered 12 fours and two sixes in only 102 balls for his ninth one-day international century.
The dismissal of Pakistan's most dangerous batsman sparked immediate Indian celebration but Abdul Razzaq, with a 16-ball 27, and Moin, with his run-a-ball 16, kept the home side's victory hopes alive going into the final over.
Earlier, India piled up their highest one-day total against Pakistan with Dravid unlucky to fall one short of a century.
The 30-year-old struck eight fours in 104 balls after opener Sehwag's explosive 79 had paved the way for a huge total on a flat pitch.
India's previous best against Pakistan was 316 for seven at Dhaka in 1998.
Dravid shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 118 with Mohammad Kaif, who celebrated his return from thumb injury with a 56-ball 46.
All of Pakistan's frontline bowlers came in for severe punishment with Razzaq the most expensive, going for 83 runs from nine overs.
Mohammad Sami picked up two late wickets as India managed just 25 runs in the last five overs, but Pakistan needed to score their second highest total in one-day internationals to overhaul India.
India are playing a full series in Pakistan for the first time in 14 years. The five-match one-day series will be followed by three tests, starting in Multan on March 28.
SCOREBOARD
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INDIA
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V.Sehwag c Shoaib Malik b Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 79
S.Tendulkar c Rana Naved-ul-Hasan b Shoaib Akhtar 28
S.Ganguly c and b Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 45
R.Dravid b Shoaib Akhtar 99
Y.Singh c Yasir Hameed b Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 3
M.Kaif lbw b Mohammad Sami 46
H.Badani not out 8
Z.Khan b Mohammad Sami 0
M.Kartik not out 3
Extras (b-1 lb-7 w-10 nb-20) 38
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Total (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 349
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Did not bat: A.Nehra, L.Balaji
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Fall of wickets: 1-69 2-142 3-214 4-220 5-338 6-344 7-344
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Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 10-0-55-2 (nb-3 w-7),
Mohammad Sami 10-0-74-2 (nb-5 w-3),
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 10-0-73-3 (nb-7),
Abdul Razzaq 9-0-83-0 (nb-4),
Shoaib Malik 10-0-50-0 (nb-1),
Yasir Hameed 1-0-6-0.
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PAKISTAN
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Yasir Hameed b Balaji 7
Imran Farhat c Dravid b Zaheer Khan 24
Yousuf Youhana c sub (Pathan) b Sehwag 73
Inzamam-ul-Haq c Dravid b Kartik 122
Younis Khan b Kartik 46
Abdul Razzaq b Zaheer Khan 27
Moin Khan c Zaheer Khan b Nehra 16
Shoaib Malik c Kaif b Zaheer Khan 7
Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan not out 3
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Extras (lb-10 nb-2 w-7) 19
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Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 344
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Did not bat: Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami
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Fall of wickets: 1-32 2-34 3-169 4-278 5-305 6-322
7-340 8-344
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Bowling: Balaji 10-1-56-1 (w-1),
Zaheer 10-0-66-3 (w-2 nb-2),
Nehra 10-0-58-1 (w-1),
Kartik 10-0-74-2 (w-3),
Ganguly 1-0-14-0,
Tendulkar 3-0-34-0,
Sehwag 6-0-32-1.
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RESULT: India won by five runs
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Second match: Rawalpindi - March 16 (d/n)
Third match: Peshawar - March 19
Fourth match: Lahore - March 21 (d/n)
Fifth match: Lahore - March 24 (d/n)
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