Opener Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik produced fluent knocks against an India A side as Pakistan, who squared a preceding three-Test series 1-1, reached their target of 190 with four overs to spare.

Left-handed Butt was cautious during his 124-ball 70, which came with five fours, while Malik slammed a quickfire 81 not out off 78 balls with eight boundaries including four sixes.

Stand-in skipper Abdul Razzaq was not out on one.

Earlier, Pakistan restricted India A to 189-7 in their alloted 45 overs.

Suresh Raina, who plays for Uttar Pradesh state in domestic cricket, top-scored with 55 off 65 balls with five fours while Sridharan Sriram chipped in with 38 for the second-string Indian side.

Pakistan, who rested skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, vice-captain Younis Khan, frontline batsman Yousuf Youhana, all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pace spearhead Mohammad Sami, used seven bowlers in the match.

Naved-ul-Hasan was the pick of the attack as he struck two early blows. The seamer bowled Shikhar Dhawan for eight and then removed the other opener Mahender Dhoni for three to finish with figures of 2-42.

Iftikhar Anjum, Shahid Nazir and Arshad Khan grabbed a wicket each.

The six-match one-day series commences in the southern Indian city of Cochin on Saturday.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 Pakistan Cricket Board)