The Australian captain, with a win under his belt and sensing a first ever series win in Pakistan, raised his arms in delight and waved his bat to the crowd after reaching 300.

It was the first triple hundred on Pakistan soil and only the 15th in Test cricket. The 33-year-old from New South Wales equalled the highest individual Test score by any Australian, 334, set by Don Bradman at Leeds against England some 68 years ago. He now has his eye on the world record Test score of 375 belonging to West Indian Brian Lara.

At close, Taylor was 334 not out and Ricky Ponting was undefeated on 76 after adding 168 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket stand. Australia tormented the home team throughout the day, losing just three wickets as they notched up a healthy 375 runs.

Taylor picked up where he had left off after thefirst day, setting a host of new records on the way. He joined the illustrious company Bradman, Bob Cowper and Bobby Simpson as the only Australians to have posted triple hundreds in Test cricket.

``It is a great feeling to be there and I can never forget this innings,'' he said. Taylor's triple century came with a boundary through the covers off Mushtaq Ahmed after 681 minutes and 530 balls. He hit 30 fours and a six.

The portly Australian captain passed the highest individual innings on Pakistan soil of 280 not out by the present Pakistan coach Javed Miandad.

Greg Chappell's record 235 against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1979-80, the highest by an foreign player in Pakistan, also tumbled along with Graham Yallop's 268 at Melbourne in 1983-84, the highest score in a Pakistan-Australia match.

Australia lost just one wicket adding 164 runs to their overnight 224 for one in the extended first session. Taylor resuming from 112 gave no respite to Pakistani bowlers and fielders.

When on 213, Taylor joinedthe exlusive group with 7,000 runs in Test cricket, during his 98th Test. Allan Border, David Boon and Greg Chappell are three other Australians to score more than 7,000 runs in Tests.

The Australian skipper, dropped twice when 18 and 27, also surpassed his previous best score of 219 against England at Trent Bridge in the 1989 series.

Earlier in the morning Justin Langer completed his maiden hundred with a risky single to square leg off 171 balls in 281 minutes, hitting nine fours.

The Taylor-Langer pair set a new record for any wicket against Pakistan on Pakistani soil, putting on 279 runs and helped by consistently short bowling from Shoaib Akhter and Mohammad Zahid.

SCOREBOARD

Australia (1st innings): M Taylor batting 334, M Slater c Mahmood b Akhtar 2, J Langer c Moin b Mahmood 116, M Waugh c Malik b Sohail 42, S Waugh c Moin b Akhtar 1, R Ponting batting 76. Extras (lb-9, w-3, nb-16) 28.

Total (for four wickets) 599.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-295, 3-418,4-431.

Bowling: Akhtar 31-6-107-2, Zahid 16-0-74-0, Mushtaq 46-3-153-0, Mahmood 23-2-82-1, Sohail 42-8-111-1, Malik 16-0-63-0.