South Africa was a nervy 51-2 in pursuit of a record 277 runs to beat Pakistan after day three of the first test at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi, South Africa’s highest scorers from the first innings, were on 29 and 16 respectively at stumps.
The highest successful run chase in Lahore was 208 in 1961 by England.
On Tuesday, 16 wickets fell as the spinners continued to prosper on the dry pitch with variable bounce.
Pakistan bowled out South Africa for 269 in the first hour to grab a 109-run lead on the first innings, but then the home side was all out for 167 in 46.1 overs just after tea.
That still set a daunting target of 277, and Pakistan’s strike spinner, the 39-year-old Noman Ali, took out Proteas captain Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder cheaply for the second time in the match.
Rickelton, who survived a dropped catch, and de Zorzi handled the 15 overs to stumps, lifting South Africa from 18-2 to 51-2 at a little more than two runs per over.
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De Zorzi started the day at the crease, resuming on 81 overnight. He entered into the 90s with a reverse swept boundary and lofted Noman over wide long-off for a six. De Zorzi reached his chanceless century which featured 10 fours and two sixes when he reverse swept Noman for a single. He raised his arms to celebrate his second test hundred.
De Zorzi was finally out for 104 from 171 balls when Shaheen Shah Afridi held a well-judged low catch diving forward at long-on. That gave Noman his ninth five-wicket haul in 20 test matches — the most by any Pakistan left-arm test spinner.
Noman and Sajid Khan both bowled unchanged from the start of play and South Africa added only 53 to its overnight 216-6.
Noman grabbed 6-112 and Khan took 3-98.
Pakistan was 36-2 by lunch then scored close to four runs an over in the second session.
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Babar Azam top-scored with 42 and added 55 runs with Saud Shakeel (38). Babar, who has been struggling for runs in test matches, survived an lbw review against Kagiso Rabada late in the first session before he scored but he gained confidence against Senuran Muthusamy when he hit the spinner for four boundaries, including three off successive balls.
Babar was out lbw to a Rabada nip-backer but Pakistan added 114 runs in the second session and extended the lead to 259.
Then Muthusamy lured Shakeel to go for a big shot at the stroke of tea and Pakistan lost its last six wickets for 17 runs in a dramatic collapse.
Muthusamy took 5-57 for a match haul of 11-174, the fourth best match figures by a South Africa spinner in test cricket.
Simon Harmer complemented him with 4-51.
