A nervy South Africa have slumped to 3-27 chasing 148 to beat Pakistan in the first Test and secure a place in next June's World Test Championship

With bad light bringing play to an early close on a rain-delayed third day at Centurion the hosts will return on Sunday needing 121 for victory.

Pakistan took three wickets in the opening nine overs of South Africa's second innings with Mohammad Abbas taking two and Khurram Shahzad the other as Tony de Zorzi (2), Ryan Rickleton (0) and Tristan Stubbs (1) were all trapped leg before wicket.

Aiden Markram, whose first innings 89 is the highest score of the match so far, will resume on 22 not out, alongside skipper Temba Bavuma who has yet to score.

South Africa had a 90-run first innings lead and although the contest ebbed and flowed through the day, will have felt they had worked their way into a winning position before they came out to bat.

Resuming at 3-88 Pakistan were dismissed for 237, the last four wickets falling for 29.

Marco Jansen finished with 6-52 to put the brakes on Pakistan's hopes of a bigger second innings tally after Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam made a bright start to the day's play, which was delayed until after lunch because of a passing rainstorm.

Shakeel top scored with 84, before being undone by a full toss from Jansen, but his dismissal was unlucky in contrast to a raft of injudicious shots that saw his teammates get out.

Babar moved briskly from 16 not out overnight to 50 -- his first in his last 20 Test innings -- but was then tempted into swinging at a short and wide delivery in Jansen's first over and caught by Corbin Bosch on the boundary.

Mohammad Rizwan then gave away his wicket cheaply while Salman Ali Agha drove at only the third ball he faced and edged behind.

Aamer Jamal was dismissed for 18 as he could not resist attempting to pull a short delivery from Dane Paterson and was caught by Rickelton.

The second Test against Pakistan will be at Newlands in Cape Town, starting next Friday.