Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni [Images] hailed his deputy Yuvraj Singh [Images] after he top-scored with 77 to help win the third one-day international against Pakistan in Kanpur on Sunday for a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The left-handed batsman, dropped on 25 when Salman Butt [Images] could not hold a tough chance at midwicket against Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik's [Images] off-spin, was named the man-of-the-match.

"I've been saying Yuvi will be the trump card," he told reporters. "He is playing amazing shots and showing his class."

• India win despite Butt's century | Images | Scorecard

Yuvraj also took a wicket and ran out key batsman Mohammad Yousuf [Images] when Pakistan batted.

India posted 294 for six after being asked to bat first on a slow pitch and bowled out Pakistan for 248 despite a career-best 129 by opening batsman Butt.

Yuvraj has been in great touch in the last few months. He hit a hundred in the home series against Australia last month and made 58 in the first game against Pakistan in Guwahati which the hosts won by five wickets.

Yuvraj and Dhoni added 100 runs at Green Park on Sunday, having raised 105 together in Guwahati. Dhoni said the right-left combination and their natural aggression helped them tackle any pressure opposition bowlers can bring on.

A disappointed Malik felt that had it not been for Yuvraj's dropped catch, Pakistan could have repeated their efforts of the previous game when they chased down a target of 322 on a good Mohali pitch.

"We should have restricted India to 250," he said. "On this wicket, the target was too high. Now we have to win both the [remaining] matches to win the series."

Malik criticised the batsmen for not supporting Butt, with the 38 by Misbah-ul Haq the next highest score.

"Even if one of us had got 70 or 80, it would have made a difference."

However, he refused to take any blame for his own poor run in the series after scores of two, 25 and 12, saying: "When the team loses, this comes up."

The fourth match will be played in Gwalior on Thursday.