England quick bowler Darren Gough returned from a year of injuries to share five wickets with James Anderson but the pair could not stop Pakistan winning a tense first one-dayer on Tuesday.
Having restricted an inexperienced England side to 204 for nine with a fine display in the field, Pakistan looked in cruise control on 116 for one before losing four wickets for 42.
But, after leaking another three wickets for 13 runs to Gough and Anderson, they recovered their poise just enough to scramble home by two wickets and with four balls to spare in the Old Trafford day-nighter.
Abdul Razzaq made sure with a hoiked four over mid-on in the final over.
A large part of the crowd cheered them home.
A beaming Gough, whose career was under serious threat after a string of knee operations, came through his test by taking two for 38 from 10 impressive overs.
The 32-year-old Gough has not played a test for almost two years and last played a one-dayer in July last year in an ill-fated comeback from injury.
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