Pakistan's pace-cum-spin attack caught world number one Test team South Africa napping on the third day of the first Test here today.
South Africa lost four top-order batsmen against a spirited Pakistan and now need another 121 runs to avoid an innings defeat at Sheikh Zayed Stadium and concede the lead in the two-Test series.
AB de Villiers was unbeaten on 11 and with him nightwatchman Dale Steyn on nought on a day when Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq scored his fourth Test hundred and then sent his rivals into submission.
Pakistan removed Alviro Petersen (17), Graeme Smith (32) and Jacques Kallis (nought) by the 19th over and then first innings centurion Hashim Amla for ten to move closer to a big victory when bad light curtailed play seven overs early.
Paceman Mohammad Irfan started aggressively, trapping Smith in front off the very first ball of the innings but Pakistan's referral was unsuccessful after the umpire initially ruled it not out.
But Irfan struck in his sixth over when a rising delivery caught Petersen by surprise, the batsman failing to keep his glove out of the way before Adnan Akmal held the catch cleanly.
Smith looked confident during his 61-ball knock but missed one delivery from Saeed Ajmal and was stumped on the second attempt by Akmal, leaving South Africa at 57-2.
With Smith's scalp, Ajmal completed his 150 wickets in 29 Tests -- joint fourth fastest to reach the milestone and second Pakistani behind paceman Waqar Younis, who completed the tally in 27 Tests.
A run later Kallis was trapped in front of the wicket by fast bowler Junaid Khan for a five-ball duck, spoiling the most reliable South African batsman's comeback and 38th birthday.
Amal, who hit 118 in the first innings, fell caught behind off left-armer Zulfiqar Babar's first delivery in the innings to leave South Africa tottering at 72-4.
