Tendulkar leads Indians to victory

GWALIOR, India -- Sachin Tendulkar was again out in the 90s -- but the India middle order ensured the hosts clinched a six-wicket victory over Pakistan to secure the five-match series with a game to spare.

Tendulkar -- dismissed for 99 in the second ODI in Mohali -- was bowled by Umar Gul just three runs short of his century as India looked to better Pakistan's total of 255 for six from their 50 overs.

Yuvraj Singh hit an unbeaten 53 and Virender Sehwag 43 to give India the win with three-and-a-half overs to spare.

Mohammad Yousuf (99 not out) and Younus Khan (68) earlier did the bulk of the damage for Pakistan after their captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and opted to bat.

The Pakistan innings could hardly have got off to a worse start with Salman Butt -- whose brilliant 129 in Kanpur on Sunday proved in vain -- trapped leg before wicket by the second ball of the day from RP Singh.

Fellow-opener Malik made 31 before being bowled off an inside edge by Zaheer Khan, while Younus' impressive knock was ended when he got a leading edge and was caught and bowled by Yuvraj.

Shahid Afridi added just one to the total before he was dismissed lbw playing across the line of the stumps by Sourav Ganguly.

Yousuf then shared a 94-run fifth-wicket partnership with Misbah-ul-Haq before the latter was bowled off an inside edge by Irfan Pathan for a quickfire 40.

Zaheer claimed his second wicket when he trapped Sohail Tanvir lbw for six, but Yousuf accelerated the Pakistan run-rate in the closing overs and finished just one run short of his century -- his 99 coming off 104 deliveries. He was unbeaten with Kamran Akmal (two) at the end of 50 overs.

In response, Ganguly failed at the top of the order -- making only five before getting an outside edge to a Shoaib Akhtar delivery and finding Younus at second slip.

Number three Gautam Gambhir fared no better, caught at short mid-wicket by Tanvir off Iftikhar Anjum for just three.

A 107-run stand for the third wicket came to an end when Sehwag was run out by Malik, and then Tendulkar fell to Gul to leave India 159 for four.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Yuvraj in the middle and the pair saw India home in style -- Yuvraj's 53 coming off 65 balls and Dhoni smashing a run-a-ball 45.

The final match of the series takes place in Jaipur on Sunday. E-mail to a friend