Sourav Ganguly takes a tumble while trying to stop a shot on Day I of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Bangalore on Thursday. (Reuters)

Bangalore: Inzamam-ul Haq celebrated his hundredth Test with a grand hundred as Pakistan compiled a strong total in their bid for a series-levelling victory against India in the third and final Test here Thursday.

Inzamam slammed an unbeaten 184 to help Pakistan reach a commanding 323 for two on the opening day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

The 35-year-old batsman, only the fourth Pakistani to play in 100 or more Tests, became the fifth player ever to register a century in the milestone match.

Lending him solid support was his deputy Younis Khan with a back-to-back hundred of his own and by stumps was batting on 127.

It was a day of run glut as the duo built up a mammoth third-wicket stand of 316 runs from 524 balls. The loss of the two openers inside the third over was more than compensated by the run deluge that followed.

Harbhajan Singh, under the ICC microscope after being reported during the second Test, looked ordinary. Anil Kumble was repeatedly smashed all over the park, the dead track taking the sting out of his top-spinners.

Inzamam?s magnificent 263-ball knock, with 25 fours, was the highest score by a batsman in his centennial Test, surpassing Gordon Greenidge?s 149.

Lakshmipathy Balaji struck with his opening delivery, having Shahid Afridi caught at slip for a first ball duck with a quick ball that moved prodigiously off the seam.

Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan then had Yasir Hameed (6) caught behind for six while reaching for a ball that angled away.

There was no respite for the bowlers after that on a flat track on which Inzamam had chosen to bat first.

His calming presence at the centre was just what Pakistan needed after the early shocks. Looking at ease and playing late, he got off the mark with a superb cover drive off Pathan.

Inzamam pulled Harbhajan for a boundary to midwicket and then repeated the shot against leg spinner Anil Kumble and Balaji as the Indian bowlers pitched too short.

Younis relied mainly on ones and twos, Inzamam raised his fifty by driving Harbhajan to the extra coverfence . He picked 10 off Balaji?s first over after lunch. Younis brought up his half-century with a square-cut four off Pathan before Inzamam tucked the bowler to square leg for his 21st Test hundred.

Harbhajan and Younis exchanged words after the batsman miscued a repeat shot to extra cover, but Inzamam and umpire Billy Bowden calmed things down.

Younis raised his eighth Test century with a single off Kumble and Inzamam got to 150 with a couple in the same over.