Needing seven runs from the last over, Youhana hit the winning boundary off Tapash Baisya to seal victory in a flawless innings in which he struck five boundaries and a six.
Pakistan indeed owed it to Youhana who was involved in an 85-run third wicket stand with Younis Khan that set the stage for the home side’s win, their fourth successive in the five-game series.
The touring team’s defeat meant that they have now gone 41 one-dayers without victory since last defeating Pakistan at the 1999 World Cup.
Youhana’s knock that followed his 65-run innings in Lahore last week, helped Pakistan overhaul Bangladesh’s total of 222 for eight after the touring captain Khaled Mahmud had won his first toss of the series and opted to bat first on a sunny afternoon.
Rain earlier in the morning, thankfully did not delay the start of the match much to the relief of the crowd that had waited 17 months for international cricket to return to town.
Imran Nazir, returning to the side in place of Yasir Hameed, scored 28 runs, opening the innings with Mohammad Hafeez. Both however fell to Baisya, Hafeez going cheaply for nine. Younis was dismissed, trapped leg before by Mohammad Rafique after scoring 37 runs.
Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, could not do much at the crease and left as he attempted a big one that landed into the safe hands of Baisya for 18.
Bangladesh were helped by a 70-run third-wicket partnership between Rajin Saleh and Habibul Bashar, both of whom batted well to give stability to the innings after the loss of openers Hannan Sarkar and Khaled Masud with only 47 runs on the board.
Rajin and Habibul batted confidently against the Pakistan pace attack of Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami, returning to the side in place of Shabbir Ahmed.
It was Sami who terminated the stand between the two batsmen, running Habibul out for 37 while Rajin followed soon afterwards falling to off-spin of Hafeez. He topscored for his side with a innings of 47 runs for which he stayed at the crease for a good 132 minutes in which he faced 92 balls.
Later in the order Tushar Imran put up some resistance, putting on 33 runs before being adjudged lbw off a delivery from the talented Umar Gul who picked up two wickets for 29 runs off his nine overs. Sami on the other hand conceded 41 runs in taking as many wickets in his quota of 10 overs. Abdul Razzaq also snared two wickets.
But Junaid Zia, son of Pakistan cricket chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, was not impressive again, the rival batsmen plundering 46 runs off him in the six overs that he bowled. He has only three wickets so far in the series.
The last match of the series is to be played in Karachi on Sunday.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH:
Hannan Sarkar lbw b Razzaq 25
Khaled Mashud lbw b Sami 0
Rajin Saleh lbw b Hafeez 47
Habibul Bashar run out 37
Alok Kapali b Razzaq 12
Tushar Imran lbw b Umar Gul 33
Mushfiqur Rahman b Umar Gul 22
Khaled Mahmud b Sami 18
Mohammad Rafique not out 2
Mashrafe bin Mortaza not out 6
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, W-5, NB-6) 20
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 222
FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-47, 3-117, 4-126, 5-144, 6-193, 7-212, 8-216.
DID NOT BAT: Tapash Baisya.
BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 10-0-41-2 (3nb, 4w); Umar Gul 9-1-29-2 (1nb, 1w); Shoaib Malik 10-0-32-0 (2nb); Abdul Razzaq 9-0-43-2; Junaid Zia 6-0-46-0; Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-22-1.
PAKISTAN:
Imran Nazir c Hannan b Baisya 28
Mohammad Hafeez c Rajin b Baisya 9
Yousuf Youhana not out 94
Younis Khan lbw b Rafique 37
Inzamam-ul-Haq c Baisya b Mashrafe 18
Shoaib Malik run out 17
Abdul Razzaq not out 8
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-9) 15
TOTAL (for five wkts, 49.5 overs) 226
FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-50, 3-135, 4-170, 5-205.
DID NOT BAT: Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Junaid Zia, Umar Gul.
BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-1-51-1 (4w); Tapash Baisya 8.5-0-42-2 (3w); Mushfiqur Rahman 10-1-38-0 (1w); Khaled Mahmud 8-0-30-0; Mohammad Rafique 10-0-41-1 (1w); Rajin Saleh 3-0-18-0.
RESULT: Pakistan won by five wickets.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV UMPIRE: Asad Rauf (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yousuf Youhana.
FIRST MATCH: Multan, Pakistan won by 137 runs.
SECOND MATCH: Faisalabad, Pakistan won by 74 runs.
THIRD MATCH: Lahore, Pakistan by 42 runs.
FIFTH MATCH: Karachi (D/N), Sunday.