Experienced leg spinner Danish Kaneria claimed four scalps (4/117) to restrict the hosts to a slender 80-run lead with two wickets in hand with two more days left in the match.
The Australians went to stumps at 286 for eight with Mike Hussey unbeaten on 73.
Score Board
AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 127 all out
PAKISTAN (I Innings: O/n: 331/9):
Kaneria c Hussey b Bollinger 4
Asif (not out) 0
Extras (B-2, LB-16, W-5, NB-10) 33
Total (all out, 96.5 overs) 333
Fall of wickets: 1-109, 2-144, 3-205, 4-237, 5-277, 6-286, 7-295, 8-323, 9-331.
Bowling: Bollinger 21.5-5-72-4, Siddle 22-4-62-1, Mitchell Johnson 20-2-64-2, Shane Watson 17-4-40-2, Hauritz 16-3-77-1.
AUSTRALIA (II Innings):
Watson c Iqbal b Gul 97
Hughes c&b Kaneria 37
Ponting c Iqbal b Gul 11
M Hussey (batting) 73
Clarke lbw Asif 21
North c Iqbal b Kaneria 2
Haddin lbw Kaneria 15
Johnson b Kaneria 3
Hauritz c Misbah b Gul 4
Siddle (batting) 10
Extras (B-6, LB-1, W-2, NB-4) 13
Total (for 8 wkts, 87 overs) 286
Fall of wickets: 1-105, 2-144, 3-159, 4-217, 5-226, 6-246, 7-252, 8-257.
Bowling: Asif 19-7-44-1, Sami 12.5-3-50-0, Gul 21-4-62-3, Kaneria 32.1-2-117-4 , Farhat 2-0-6-0.