MULTAN, Sept 4: Bangladesh cricket came of age on Thursday with a clinical performance to take a substantial first innings lead of 106 runs over Pakistan on the second day of the third and final Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Having already lost the three-match series, Bangladesh produced their best-ever in their chequered 24-Test history, reducing Pakistan to 175 all out — the lowest total scored by any team so far in just over four hours with skipper Khaled Mahmud leading from the front by achieving his best figures in both Test and first-class career on an action-packed day when 18 wickets crashed for 285 runs.

But the home side hit back swiftly when Umar Gul sent back Hannan Sarkar and Habibul Bashar in the fifth over of Bangladesh’s second innings. Both his victims were out in almost identical fashion, caught behind by Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, for three runs each.

Shabbir Ahmed then also got into the act, removing Javed Omar (16) and Mohammad Ashraful (3) as Bangladesh reached stumps at 77 for four, holding an overall lead of 183 runs with all their hopes of winning their first Test now resting on young shoulders of Rajin Saleh, who battled to an unbeaten 29.

In the penultimate over of the day, the tourists suffered a setback when Alok Kapali was struck above his right eye by Shabbir after an attempted hook shot failed.

Play was held up for a few minutes as the batsman was helped off the pitch. According to firsthand medical reports, Kapali, whose injury necessitated two stitches, will resume at the fall of next wicket on Friday.

It was a great disappointment for Habibul who had previously made 71 and 108 at Karachi, 97 and 28 at Peshawar, and finally 72 in the first innings here before a rush of blood saw him flash wildly outside the stump only to nick a catch to the wicket-keeper.

Bangladesh, who added another 33 runs to their overnight first innings score of 248 for six to be all out for 281 inside the first hour of the day, never let Pakistan batsmen dictate terms to them.

Mohammad Rafique, the slow left-armer, got himself an early birthday present with his third haul of five wickets in an innings in a dream spell from the Media Centre End.

Rafique, who turns 33 on Friday, sent back Yasir Hameed, Farhan Adil, Shabbir Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and Umar Gul in that order for 15 runs in 54 deliveries. His final analysis — five for 36 in 17.4 overs — were his best against Pakistan, surpassing five for 118 he claimed in the Peshawar Test.

Pakistan had no excuse for their inept batting against the minnows of Test cricket, although it could be argued that a couple of umpiring decisions went against them.

Russell Tiffin, the umpire from Zimbabwe, who made several debatable decisions in the second Test, adjudged Younis Khan caught behind after some delay. The TV replays failed to agree with Tiffin’s verdict since the ball from Mahmud headed wide outside the stump, as Younis attempted a leg glance, on its way to wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud.

Tiffin’s partner Asoka de Silva was no good either, standing at the other end, when he gave debutant Farhan Adil out lbw to an incoming ball from Rafique that would have missed another set of stumps.

Next ball, Shabbir was struck right in front of the middle stump but the umpire, urned a deaf ear to the chorus of a confident Bangladesh appeal.

The start of the Pakistan’s innings was shaky with both Mohammad Hafeez and Salman Butt looking tentative against the new ball. Hafeez survived two chances, offered to Mahmud at first slip, off left-arm medium-pacer Manjural Islam.

But it was the left-handed Salman, playing in his maiden Test, who went first after making a streaky 12. He nibbled at an innocuous delivery from Mahmud outside the off-stump but only succeeded in getting a thin edge.

Salman, stood his ground for a while before walking off, clearly expressing his displeasure at umpire Tiffin’s ruling.

Hafeez, however, failed to take advantage of those lapses when he missed a straight one from Mahmud playing back and was trapped in right front. He scored 21.

Local hero Inzamam-ul-Haq was a given a rapturous reception when he emerged from the pavilion quarter an hour before lunch and hit two boundaries to be 10 not out at the break. But third ball into the afternoon session, the big man provided a simple chance to second slip.

Inzamam’s prized scalp provided Mahmud his third wicket for 10 runs in 21 balls. The 32-year-old Bangladesh captain’s overall figures of four for 37 in 13 overs are his best in any form of cricket.

The Pakistan innings featured just one partnership of any significance. Yasir Hameed, who top-scored with a 90-ball 39, and Younis put on 71 for the fourth-wicket in 84 minutes.

Pakistan, 50 for two at lunch, hobbled to 147 for five at the tea break. Rashid Latif then cheaply, caught in the slips by Kapali off Tapash Baisya for five before Rafique took care of the tail.

Earlier, Shabbir captured three wickets in six balls without conceding a runs to terminate Bangladesh’s first innings. Umar Gul had set the tone by sending back Khaled Mashud (29) to the very first ball of the day. A sharp rising ball found the splice of Mashud’s bat on its way to a diving Rashid.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh (1st innings) (overnight 248-6)