Spinners Nauman Ali and Yasir Shah derailed South Africa with three wickets to leave the tourists on 179-6 at tea on the opening day of the first Test in Karachi on Tuesday.
Debutant left-armer Nauman dismissed South African skipper Quinton de Kock (15) and Dean Elgar (58) as South Africa fumbled from a steady 94-2 at lunch.
At tea Geroge Linde (25) and Keshav Maharaj (nought) were at the crease as South Africa — who won the toss and batted — were left to fight on a brownish pitch at the National Stadium, which has started to take slow spin.
Opener Dean Elgar struck his 16th Test half-century, laced with nine boundaries before he edged debutant Nauman into the hands of Babar Azam in the slip.
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi had Markram caught in the slip, while van der Dussen was run out after attempting a quick single.
Soon after lunch, du Plessis — dropped on 14 off Yasir — edged the same bowler to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan while de Kock played a rash shot off Nauman and was caught at mid-wicket, unable to make his 50th Test memorable.
Temba Bavuma and Linde added 43 for the sixth wicket before Bavuma was run out after he misjudged a second run and was smartly beaten by a good Hasan Ali throw from the deep.
Both Pakistan and South Africa entered the Test with two spinners and three pace bowlers.
The two-match Test series marks the first tour by South Africa to Pakistan in 14 years, a positive step for the revival of international cricket in the host country.
A deadly attack on Sri Lanka’s team in 2009 froze international tours to Pakistan before their gradual reintroduction in recent years.
