India went down to Pakistan by a narrow 7-8 margin in the first match of the SAF Polo Challenge, 2004, at Rawalpindi Polo Club.

India missed a 60-yards penalty at the stroke of final whistle and went down fighting in the opening game of the three-match first leg on Tuesday.

The same number of matches will be played in the second leg next month in Delhi.

The next two matches of the first leg -- being promoted as one of the build-up activities for the upcoming ninth SAF  Games -- will be played at the same venue on Friday and Saturday.

Present amongst a large crowd to watch the match were the president of Pakistan Polo Association, Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan; president of sponsors MCB, Muhammad Mansha and Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon.

India won the first chakkar by a solitary goal but the home team bounced back by winning the next two chakkars 3-0 to take a 2-1 lead and drawing the fourth 3-3, exhibiting better horsemanship and accurate passing.

Leading 8-5 at the start of fifth and final chakkar, Pakistan conceded two goals as the match came to be poised at  knife's edge at 8-7 before India's Bashir Ali missed a 60-yards penalty.

For Pakistan, Samiullah Raja and Shah Qubalai Alam scored four goals each.

This was the second polo match between the two teams in a few months after Pakistan won the World Cup qualifier in Lahore against their arch-rivals.