DHAKA, Dec 12: Fast bowler Irfan Pathan completed a maiden 10-wicket haul to push hapless Bangladesh to the brink of an innings defeat on the third day of the opening Test against India here on Sunday.

The left-arm seamer, 20, finished with 5-31 as Bangladesh put in yet another disappointing batting display to reach 170-8 in their second innings at stumps after conceding a lead of 342 runs.

Opener Nafis Iqbal (54) and Manjural Rana (50 not out) scored maiden Test half-centuries, but minnows Bangladesh still faced a fourth successive innings defeat. Pathan was not the only Indian cricketer to have a ball at Bangladesh's expense as Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan also produced their career-best performances.

Tendulkar smashed a career-best 248 not out and Zaheer an entertaining 75, the highest by a number-11 batsman in Test cricket. Tendulkar, whose previous best was an unbeaten 241 against Australia in Sydney this year, struck 35 fours in his fourth Test double-century. He is now one short of Rahul Dravid's Indian mark of five double-tons.

Tendulkar and Zaheer were involved in an Indian record 133-run stand for the last wicket, the previous highest being 109 between Ghulam Ahmed and Hemu Adhikari against Pakistan at Delhi in 1952.

Zaheer also became the world's top-scoring number 11, surpassing New Zealander Richard Collinge's 68 not out against Pakistan in Auckland in 1972-73. The batting exploits of Tendulkar and Zaheer on a flat pitch helped India post a huge 526 in their first innings in reply to Bangladesh's 184.

The Bangladeshi batting crashed for the second successive time in the match against Pathan's pace as wickets fell in quick succession. Pathan, who bagged five wickets in the first innings, ran through the fragile Bangladeshi top order in his incisive opening eight-over spell to reduce the match to a no-contest.

Four of his five victims failed to reach even double-figures. Leg-spinner Anil Kumble took two wickets for India, who were led by Rahul Dravid in the absence of unwell Sourav Ganguly.

Earlier, the Indian batting flourished as Tendulkar and Zaheer both feasted on a mediocre Bangladeshi bowling. Tendulkar, 159 overnight, was running short of partners when in sight of a double-century as India had lost two wickets after resuming at 348-7. He needed nine more runs to cross the 200-mark when Zaheer joined him.

But Zaheer not only enabled Tendulkar to complete a double-ton, but also went on to compile his career-best score with two sixes and 10 fours. Tendulkar, who equalled compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's world record of 34 Test centuries on Saturday, reached the double-century with an aggressive shot when he swept left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique for his 30th four.

There was no respite for Bangladesh even after grabbing two early wickets as Tendulkar and Zaheer virtually batted the opposition out of the match with their rollicking stand.

SCOREBOARD