ISLAMABAD: South Africa went into the tea break on a high after left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy struck twice in two balls to jolt Pakistan, who had looked comfortably placed for most of the session.
At the break, Pakistan were 199 for 4 in 57 overs, with Babar Azam unbeaten on 23 and the hosts hoping to rebuild after losing momentum late in the second session.
After the early dismissal of Abdullah Shafique for 2, Imam-ul-Haq (93) and captain Shan Masood (76) steadied the innings with a solid 161-run stand on a slow, batter-friendly Gaddafi Stadium pitch offering little to the bowlers.
However, just as Imam seemed set for a century, Muthusamy turned the tide — first removing Imam, caught smartly by Tony de Zorzi at short leg, and then dismissing Saud Shakeel for a first-ball duck, caught and bowled off a leading edge.
Earlier, Shan Masood had fallen to Prenelan Subrayen, trapped lbw for 76 after a patient 147-ball knock featuring nine fours and a six.
At tea, Pakistan trail off a promising start but still have plenty of batting to come, with Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha next in line.
The match is being played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Summary:
Pakistan 1st Innings: 199/4 in 57 overs (Imam 93, Shan 76, Babar 23*; Muthusamy 2-36, Subrayen 1-52, Rabada 1-25)
