The hosts, led by Faisal Iqbal's maiden century, staged a commanding batting performance on the third day to take their second innings to 511-5 by stumps, an overall lead of 518.

India's star line-up, led by captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, will have to bat out at least five sessions to prevent Pakistan from winning the match and the series after the first two Tests were drawn.

It is an unenviable task even though the National stadium wicket appeared to have eased out from the seaming track that produced 14 wickets on the first day and eight on the second.

The world record for the most successful fourth innings chase in history is 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in St John's, Antigua in 2003.

Indian coach Greg Chappell said he was backing his team to deliver.

"Winning is possible but very improbable," said the former Australian captain. "However the wicket is still very good for batting and there is no reason why we should not save the game.

"I think we should have scored more on the second day when we got bowled out for 239 in reply to 245 but the wicket is playing better and better now.

"There was hardly any spin or movement today and these are good conditions for batsmen."

The Indians can seek inspiration from their hosts whose first six batsmen scored half-centuries, with Iqbal reaching his hundred in the last over of the day by pulling Anil Kumble for a boundary.

Iqbal, nephew of Pakistan cricket great Javed Miandad, made up for his dismissal for five in the first innings with an unbeaten 103 that contained 12 hits to the fence.

Abdul Razzaq was the other batsman at the crease on 44, having added 109 runs so far for the unbroken sixth wicket with Iqbal.

Mohammad Yousuf made 97, skipper Younis Khan 77 and Shahid Afridi 60 to build on half-centuries from openers Salman Butt (53) and Imran Farhat (57) on Monday.

The Indian attack wilted under the assault with Irfan Pathan going for 1-93 from 23 overs, Zaheer Khan 0-93 from 26 overs and Rudra Pratap Singh 1-91 from 21 overs.

Pakistan, who started the day on 173-2, went to lunch untroubled at 270 without futher loss and moved to 370-4 by tea.

Younis and Yousuf put on 158 for the third wicket, their fourth century partnership in the series, before both batsmen were trapped leg-before by Kumble in the afternoon session.

Younis, leading the hosts in the absence of the injured Inzamam-ul Haq, was denied his third hundred in the series when he was dismissed for 77. He hit 11 boundaries.

Yousuf fell three short of what would also have been his third century in the series. His 97 included 12 fours.

Pakistan fell from 280-2 to 318-4, but Iqbal and Afridi pressed home the advantage by adding 84 for the fifth wicket.

Afridi smashed 60 off 46 balls, reaching his half-cenntury with two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Pathan.

The swashbuckling batsman was dismissed soon after tea when he tried to smash Rudra Singh out of the ground and was caught in the deep by Tendulkar.

The Indian bowlers once again had no clue how to dismiss Younis and Yousuf, who had put on 319 in the first Test in Lahore and 142 and 242 in the two innings in the second Test in Faisalabad.

Both batsmen failed to score in the first innings here, falling off successive balls to complete Pathan's sensational hat-trick in the first over of the match on Sunday.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)