Pakistan fought back after Bangladesh's Alok Kapali completed a historic hat-trick to leave the second Test on a knife-edge after a pulsating third day on Friday.

Kapali's feat, the first Test hat-trick by a Bangladesh player, left Pakistan 66 runs behind the touring side's total of 361.

But the hosts snapped up four quick wickets to leave Bangladesh struggling on 52 for four at the close, just 118 runs ahead with six wickets in hand.

It was the first time Bangladesh, who lost the first Test in Karachi by seven wickets, had taken a first-innings lead in 23 Tests.

Shoaib Akhtar removed first-innings centurion Javed Omar for a golden duck and snapped up in-form Hannan Sarkar in his third over to leave Bangladesh struggling on 20 for two.

Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful steadied the innings after seeing off a fiery five-over spell from Shoaib, but with the total on 43, Bashar was trapped lbw by Umar Gul after making 28.

Leg spinner Danish Kaneria than had Ashraful caught in the slips and Bangladesh were spared further punishment when the umpires offered the batsmen the chance to leave the field because of bad light.

Bangladesh, seeking their first ever Test victory, were indebted to left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique and Kapali, who brought the Pakistan innings to a quick end shortly after tea.

Yousuf Youhana had reached his 18th Test half-century from 138 balls, when part-time leg spinner Kapali struck.

He had Shabbir Ahmed caught at mid-off with the fifth ball of his second over and then trapped Kaneria lbw.

On the first ball of his next over he won a lbw decision against last man Umar Gul to leave Youhana stranded on 64 not out.

Rafique, who bowled virtually unchanged from the start of play in only his fifth Test, completed figures of five for 118, only the fourth time a Bangladeshi bowler has taken a five-wicket haul in Tests.

Rafique put Pakistan on the back foot before lunch when he had Taufeeq Umar (75) caught behind and bowled Inzamam-ul-Haq for 43.

Captain Rashid Latif, who made 40 from 66 balls, added 64 runs for the fifth wicket with Youhana before he was stumped off Rafique.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh (1st innings): 361 (Javed Omar 119, Habibul Bashar 97, Mohammad Ashraful 77; Shoaib Akhtar 6-50).

Pakistan (1st innings): (overnight 134-2)
Mohammad Hafeez c Khaled Mashud b Khaled Mahmud 21
Taufeeq Umar c Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique 75
Yasir Hameed b Mohammad Rafique 23
Inzamam-ul-Haq b Mohammad Rafique 43
Yousuf Youhana not out 64
Rashid Latif st Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique 40
Shoaib Malik lbw Mohammad Rafique 0
Shoaib Akhtar b Khaled Mahmud 15
Shabbir Ahmed c Mashrafe Mortaza b Alok Kapali 8
Danish Kaneria lbw Alok Kapali 0
Umar Gul lbw Alok Kapali 0

Extras (lb-1 nb-5): 6

Total (all out, 108.1 overs) 295

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-84, 3-159, 4-178, 5-242, 6-250, 7-265, 8-289, 9-289

Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 18-6-48-0, Alamgir Kabir 13-3-61-0 (nb-4), Khaled Mahmud 21-6-42-2 (nb-1), Mohammad Rafique 45-13-118-5, Rajin Saleh 7-2-13-0, Mohammad Ashraful 2-0-9-0, Alok Kapali 2.1-1-3-3

Bangladesh (2nd innings):
Hannan Sarkar c Taufeeq Umar b Shoaib Akhtar 7
Javed Omar c Rashid Latif b Shoaib Akhtar 0
Habibul Bashar lbw b Umar Gul 28
Mohammad Ashraful c Taufeeq Umar b Danish Kaneria 7
Rajin Saleh not out 5
Alok Kapali not out 4

Extras (lb-1): 1

Total (for four wickets, 18.4 overs) 52

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-20, 3-43, 4-43.

To bat: Khaled Mashud, Khaled Mahmud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Alamgir Kabir

Bowling (to date): Shoaib Akhtar 6.4-1-25-2, Shabbir Ahmed 5-2-14-0, Umar Gul 3-1-3-1, Danish Kaneria 4-1-9-1.