The first target of the Tigers is to erase the bitter memories of their innings and 264-run defeat against the home side in the second Asian Test Championship in August 2001. The other goal will be to maintain their upward performance graph that they showed in the first two Tests despite losing on both occasions.

Bangladesh lost the Karachi Test by seven wickets while they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in the second Test at Peshawar after promising a lot on a batting paradise.

The tourists took a 66-run first innings lead in Peshawar after part-time leg-spinner Alok

Kapali wrapped up the innings with a hattrick. But it all went horribly wrong when the Tigers started the second innings. They were blown away by 'Rawalpindi Express' to be shot out for only 96 in 33.5 overs.

However, Bangladesh are relieved to know that Shoaib Akhtar, who made the difference in Peshawar by grabbing ten wickets (6-50 and 4-30), will not be around this time as he will be in England playing county cricket for Durham.

But with leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the side there is every possibility of a Multan nightmare recurring. Kaneria destroyed Bangladesh here two years ago with a match-haul of 12 wickets (6-46 and 6-52). Besides, Pakistan have recalled their champion off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as Akhtar's replacement.

In their first-ever meeting with Pakistan here, Bangladesh managed to score 134 and 148.

The home side on the other hand piled up 546 for three before declaring. The innings contained a record five centurions with openers Saeed Anwar, recently retired from international cricket, and Taufeeq Umar making 101 and 104. They were joined by Inzamamul Haq (105), Yousuf Youhana (102) and Abdul Razzak (110 not out) as the Test babes were punished in a match that lasted only three days.

Habibul Bashar was the lone Bangladesh batsman to hit a half-century (56) in that game.

But after two years it is a changed Bangladesh under the leadership of coach Dav Whatmore.

Written off as pushovers before arriving in Pakistan, Khaled Mahmud's men in each of the Tests have made the Pakistanis really toil for their 2-0 series victory, the first on home soil since 1997.

The Tigers, who had their first practice session at the Multan Cricket Stadium yesterday afternoon, it was learnt would be making a couple of changes from the side that played in the second Test.

Experienced left-arm seamer Monjurul Islam is likely to replace young right-arm medium-pacer Alamgir Kabir, who had a less to impressive performance at Peshawar.

Also there is a strong possibility that strike bowler Mashrafee-bin-Mortuza will be rested. In that case fellow paceman Tapas Baisya will return after missing the second Test.

The hosts are likely to welcome back batsman Younis Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq in place of Shoaib Akhtar and the injured Shoaib Malik.