India knocked off the 32 runs needed on the final morning to seal a six-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test.
Shoaib Akhtar (4-58) snared Sourav Ganguly (48) with 22 runs still needed but Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman guided the hosts to victory.
Man of the match Anil Kumble said: "This ground is very special for me. I think the boys responded very well. Everyone contributed in this win."
Kumble took seven wickets in his first match as India's new Test captain.
It had been a fascinating Test with India never really in the ascendancy until the fourth day - and they had been in trouble on day two when suffering a middle order collapse.
"The stand between Mahendra Dhoni and Laxman in the first innings was very crucial," said Kumble, aware that India might have lost the match but for that partnership of 115 in a low-scoring match.
Resuming at 171-3, India achieved their 203-run target after just 6.2 overs on Monday.
Pakistan captain
Tendulkar, 32 overnight, was in punishing mood as he pulled fast bowlers Shoaib and Mohammad Sami for fours early in the morning.
He reached his half-century when he hammered leg-spinner Danish Kaneria through the covers for a boundary and finished the match with a square-cut for four off Shoaib to be unbeaten with 56.
Shoaib again bowled with fire, denying left-handed Sourav Ganguly his own half-century in his second over of the day.
The left-hander was caught pulling by debutant Sohail Tanvir at fine-leg, falling at his overnight score of 48 after putting on 88 for the fourth wicket with Tendulkar.
The players now move from Delhi to Calcutta for the start of the second Test on Friday and then on to Bangalore for the last two Tests in the series.
India are in prime position to secure their first home Test series win over Pakistan since 1979-80.
But Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik insisted: "We are a good side and I am confident that we will recover.
"If we had made 300 in the second innings, we would have been in the contest."
Kumble will hope for another strong performance from his bowlers in Calcutta, where the second Test starts on Friday.
"Getting Pakistan out under 250 in both innings was a creditable performance for our attack," he said.
Tendulkar is now 746 runs away from Brian Lara's record of 11,953 Test runs.
Kumble said of the brilliant number four: "Every time he goes out to bat he has to handle pressure and he has done it for the last 18 years.
"The hunger is there as always. He is definitely going to be number one Test batsman in terms of runs, centuries, everything."
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