England were emerging as marginal favourites to level the three-match series against Pakistan thanks to Stuart Broad's runs, and wickets from the spin of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, on the third day at the Zayed Stadium.
Broad's counter-attack brought him an unbeaten 58, and helped England to 327 all out and a precious lead of 70 in this second Test.
Then Luton's Panesar and former Bedfordshire CCC bowler Swann did the damage as Pakistan lost three wickets before they could reach parity, and wiped off just 54 by tea.
Broad and James Anderson's new-ball pace, as in the first innings, soon seemed unthreatening.
But after Panesar entered the attack in just the sixth over, he soon began a run of three wickets for seven runs.
Mohammad Hafeez was lbw pushing forward to an arm ball from the left-arm spinner - and Swann struck in his first over with a straight-on delivery from round the wicket to Pakistan's other opener, the left-handed Taufeeq Umar, bowled between bat and pad.
A modicum of turn - not as much as Pakistan's spinners have found here - then saw Panesar snake one past Younus Khan's outside edge to hit the off-stump.
Broad and Ian Bell were the most successful this morning with an evident brief to grab as many runs as possible before Saeed Ajmal (four for 108) et al bowled them out in conditions tailor-made for their skills.
Employing tactics near polar opposite to Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott's admirable crease occupation yesterday, Broad's invaluable ninth Test 50 contained six fours and a six over long-on off Abdur Rehman from just 52 balls.
He was unable to add to his lunchtime gains, though, because Hafeez (three for 54) hurried one through to bowl Anderson and then had number 11 Panesar lbw by similar method to leave Broad stranded. Ajmal managed to add only the dismissal of Matt Prior to the three quick wickets he took last night.
