It was the sign of frustration which had been simmering from the first minute as Belarus took the game to their hosts.
The smash-and-grab nature of Scotland's victory over Greece on Thursday had nobody fooled, but fans would have been hoping for a more authoritative showing this time.
Instead, Scotland have escaped from this international break with two crucial wins when it easily could - and probably should - have been much less.
The visitors threatened early, with Adams' goal coming from Scotland's first real chance. The Torino striker controlled a rifled ball, spun in a flash at the edge of the box, and slammed low to the keeper's left.
It was initially flagged for offside, but Scotland eventually celebrated.
Ben Gannon-Doak, a ball of frenetic energy down Scotland's right, scampered back and forth, and almost scored himself just before the break.
Not much changed in the second half as the Scots remained pragmatic in their approach.
A big shout and long VAR check followed Adams appearing to be hauled down in the box, but the striker was penalised for handball in the build-up.
Seconds later, Malashevich's fine finish had Hampden turning hostile. VAR was Scotland's friend once more as it identified a foul on McTominay in the build-up, with it then becoming a foe as an offside check ruled out Adams' effort.
At that point, it seemed to be a sign that a sting in the tail was still to come. Instead, McTominay's touch and shot after 84 minutes looked to dispel any hint of approaching doom.
However, the game was brought to a close with Scotland defending for their lives after Kuchko turned Andy Robertson to finish under Angus Gunn in injury time.
