At the close of play, South Africa had reached 185/4 in their first innings, trailing Pakistan by 148 runs.
Spin bowler Keshav Maharaj and top-order batter Tristan Stubbs kept the Proteas in the hunt, with the national team again forced to toil away on day two of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
When stumps were drawn, South Africa had reached 185/4 in their first innings, trailing the hosts by 148 runs with six wickets remaining.
Stubbs, who was pushed up the order to number three after Wiaan Mulder was dropped for the match, was on 68 not out after facing 168 deliveries in a calculated knock. Kyle Verreynne was unbeaten on 10.
Having dismissed Pakistan for 333 runs before lunch, the Proteas stumbled in the early stages of their first innings, losing openers Ryan Rickelton (14) and captain Aiden Markram (32).
Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi launched a recovery attempt, sharing 113 runs for the third wicket before De Zorzi was removed for 55 runs in the final session when he was trapped leg-before by spinner Asif Afridi.
Pakistan innings
Earlier, in the morning session, Pakistan resumed their first innings at 259/5, and they went on to reach 333 runs before they were bowled out ahead of the lunch break.
Maharaj did well to clean up the tail, removing Pakistan’s last four wickets for just 17 runs and taking 7/102.
Returning to the national team after missing the first Test of the series last week due to a groin injury, Maharaj secured his 12th five-wicket haul in his 60th Test.
It was the fourth time in his career the experienced spinner took more than six wickets in a Test innings.
However, while none of Pakistan’s players managed to kick on, three of them – captain Shan Masood (87), middle-order batter Saud Shakeel (66) and opener Abdullah Shafique (57) – contributed half-centuries to give the home team a solid foundation.
