RAWALPINDI: Fast bowler Hasan Ali's five-wicket haul earned Pakistan a vital 71-run first innings lead against South Africa on the third day of the second Test on Saturday.
Hasan, returning to the five-day format after a two-year absence due to injuries, took 5-54 as South Africa was bowled out for 201.
Pakistan's problems up front continued in the series after it lost openers Abid Ali for 13 and Imran Butt for zero before going to tea at 42-2 to lead by 113 runs.
Kagiso Rabada trapped Butt lbw before Pakistan had scored in the second innings.
The right-handed opener, who made his Test debut at Karachi where Pakistan won by seven wickets, could score only 36 runs in four innings after Shan Masood was dropped for the home series.
Abid also had below-par scores of 4, 10 and 6 in the previous three Test innings before he was caught behind off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for his top score in the series.
Azhar Ali survived a close lbw against Maharaj and was unbeaten on 22 while captain Babar Azam was not out on 5.
Earlier, Hasan picked up three wickets, and poor running cost South Africa two run-outs before the visitors were bowled out half an hour after lunch.
Temba Bavuma, who resumed on 15, fought a lone battle to remain unbeaten on 44 off 138 balls before Hasan wrapped up the innings by claiming the last two wickets of successive deliveries.
The diminutive Bavuma successfully overturned a leg before decision against him in the fourth over of the day, but could not get enough support from the lower order like Faheem Ashraf got when Pakistan had scored 272 runs in the first innings.
Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder (33) dug in for 1-1/2 hours and raised a half century stand before Pakistan struck with two quick wickets in the last half hour before lunch.
Mulder was shaping up well against the spinners as he lofted Yasir Shah for a six over long off and also swept well against left-arm spinner Nauman Ali before he was run-out while going for a needless second run.
George Linde scored a run-a-ball 21 with three fours and a six before he was deceived by fast Hasan with a slower delivery and was clean bowled.
Resuming on 106-4, captain Quinton de Kock's poor run of form in the series continued when he could add only five to his overnight score of 24 and was clean bowled by Shaheen Afridi (1-37) in the third over of the day.
De Kock, who hit five boundaries late on the first day, attempted an over-ambitious drive against Afridi and dragged the ball back onto his stumps.
Pakistan should have got Maharaj without scoring before lunch but Yasir Shah dropped him in the second slip before Nauman missed a sitter shortly after the break.
Umpire Ahsan Raza erred for the second time in the day when Maharaj successfully went for lbw television review after the on-field umpire had ruled him out off Hasan as South Africa moved to 188-7 at lunch.
Hasan returned after lunch and cleaned bowled both Maharaj and No.11 Andrich Nortje and Rabada was run out.