Pakistan is on the verge of its first Test victory over Australia in 15 years, requiring 40 runs to level the two-match series with two days remaining following impressive performances from Mohammad Aamer and Imran Farhat.
After Aamer claimed 4-86 as Australia was bowled out for 349 to leave Pakistan requiring 180 to win, Farhat scored 67 to steer his team to 140-3 at stumps on the third day at Headingley.
Farhat hit nine fours in 95 balls, while Azhar Ali is unbeaten on 47 with five boundaries in 104 deliveries.
Australia opening bowler Doug Bollinger was the pick of the attack, taking 2-37 from eight overs.
Earlier, a belligerent 77 from all-rounder Steven Smith allowing Australia to set Pakistan a tricky target that would have seemed unimaginable after its first innings of 88.
Smith’s innings lasted 100 balls and included two sixes and nine fours, as Australia’s last three wickets added 103 runs.
Michael Clarke hit 77 from 143 balls, including seven fours, while Ricky Ponting made 66 from 116 balls, with seven boundaries.
Australia began the day on 136-2 and, after surviving a series of appeals on Thursday, Ponting’s good fortune continued when he edged a delivery from Mohammad Asif just wide of second slip at the end of the second over of the day.
But the captain’s luck finally ran out in the next over, when Ponting slashed at a wide delivery from Aamer and was caught by tumbling wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Michael Hussey was Aamer’s next wicket, nicking the third ball of the 48th over to Umar Akmal at second slip for 8.
In Aamer’s next over, he bowled Marcus North for 0, to leave Australia five wickets down and still trailing by six runs.
That left Clarke as Australia’s sole specialist batsmen and he brought up his 50, from 99 balls, in the 52nd over with a single from Aamer.
A power failure in Leeds meant the players had to continue without a scoreboard or the services of the television umpire.
Clarke and Tim Paine survived to lunch only for Clarke, having batted for four hours, to perish in the second over of the afternoon session, caught behind off Asif.
Danish Kaneria claimed his first wicket of the Test with one of the worst balls of the match, a rank long hop that Paine chopped straight to Umar Gul at cover in the 75th over while on 33.
However, Smith and Mitchell Johnson added 37 potentially crucial runs to increase Australia’s lead to more than 100, before Johnson was lbw to Asif in the 85th for 12.
Ben Hilfenhaus hit three fours during the 88th over bowled by Aamer before he was caught on 17 by Umar Akmal at first slip off Kaneria.
Smith brought up his first Test 50 with a sweep off Kaneria three overs later, then hit successive sixes off the same bowler, including one that landed on the roof of the rugby stand.
Smith was bowled in the 96th over by Gul, but by then the lead had been extended beyond the 176 that Pakistan had notoriously failed to reach at Sydney in January - when Australia overcame a 206-run deficit to win by 36 runs.
Farhat was on 4 in the third over of the run chase when he was dropped by Shane Watson at first slip.
The breakthrough came with the first ball of the sixth over, when Hilfenhaus claimed the prize wicket of Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who was caught by Clarke at second slip.
However, Farhat and Ali calmed Pakistan’s nerves with a century stand for the second wicket.
Ali glanced an exasperated Shane Watson for successive fours at the end of the 20th over before Farhat reached his 50 with a magnificent cover drive off Johnson seven overs later.
Bollinger revived Australian hopes when he bowled Farhat in the 33rd over, then had Umar Amin caught behind in the 34th.
With the match poised, neither captain chose to ask for the extra half hour.
