Summary South Africa still needed 63 runs to wipe out the first innings deficit.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Pakistan moved into position for a rare victory against South Africa on Thursday as the top-ranked Proteas slipped to 130-6 in their second innings by lunch on the fourth day of the first test.
South Africa still needed 63 runs to wipe out the first innings deficit of 193 runs with A.B. de Villiers fighting a grim battle on 52 off 106 balls and lucky Faf du Plessis not out on 8 off 47 deliveries.
Resuming at the overnight 72-4, nightwatchman Dale Steyn (7) resisted for 44 more deliveries and took the team's total to 104 before he finally ran out of patience and was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar off his third delivery of the day.
J.P. Duminy looked shaky in his brief stay as seamer Junaid Khan had him trapped leg before wicket for zero.
Babar should have had the wicket of du Plessis on 6 but wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who featured in three of the four dismissals on Tuesday afternoon, couldn't hold on to a thick edge.
De Villiers was the only South African batsman to read the spinners well as he raised his half century with a straight six over Babar's head besides hitting four boundaries in his half century.
De Villiers is familiar with the pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium as he made his career best unbeaten 278 against Pakistan in the drawn test in 2010.
Pakistan has won just three test matches against South Africa, with the last victory in 2007 at Port Elizabeth. South Africa had whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 in the test series earlier this year at home and has been unbeaten in its previous 15 test matches, winning 10 and drawing five.
