By Chris Florence BBC World Service in Rawalpindi

When Sourav Ganguly held a catch in the gully to dismiss Danish Kaneria off Sachin Tendulkar, it was mission accoplished for India.

Sachin Tendulkar got in on the act to claim the final wicket

They had won a series in Pakistan for the first time, and were also successful in an away series for the first time in a decade.

Batting for two days to save the series was always going to be beyond Pakistan, especially after losing two wickets in the final session of the third day's play.

Two became five in the first hour of an overcast morning and it could have been even worse if India had held their chances.

Yasir Hameed, who was given three lives, fell to Ashish Nehra and when Inzamam-ul-Haq was caught behind off Lakshmipathy Balaji, umpires David Shepherd and his colleague Rudi Koertzen could have been looking forward to an afternoon of souvenir shopping.

Defiance, though, came from Yousuf Youhana with 48 in a stand of 80 with Asim Kamal, who finished with an unbeaten 60. It was a brave effort by a batsman who needed a pain-killing injection after taking a painful blow to the arm earlier in the match.

What cheers there were from home supporters were reserved for local boy Shoaib Akhtar.

India's Virender Sehwag was named Man of the Series

With Anil Kumble on a hat-trick, he edged his first ball high over the slips for four, and went on to reach 28 from 14 deliveries.

Of course it could not last and his exit, caught near the mid-wicket boundary off the leg spinner, only hastened the end as Kumble finished with four wickets, Balaji with three.

There was time for homour as English umpire Shepherd had to improvise a new signal after Shoaib hoisted a delivery from Kumble onto the awnings offering shelter to spectators at mid-wicket.

Shepherd is recognised around the world for his aversion to the figures 1-1-1, known as "Nelson" or its multiples.

His habit of keeping one foot off the ground for as long as possible whenever those numbers appear on a scoreboard has become part of popular cricket culture.

This time, with the ball lodged between creases in the material, he tried at length to gesture that he wanted somebody to climb the bamboo supports to retrieve the ball.

It was all taken in good spirit, a rare moment of light relief as Pakistan raced headlong towards an emphatic defeat.