Hosts Pakistan need 86 runs and England five wickets in the final session Monday as the first Test heads for an exciting finish on the fifth day in Rawlpindi.
At tea, Pakistan were 257-5 in pursuit of a 343-run target, with Azhar Ali and Agha Salman at the crease on 37 and 30 respectively.
Salman was given out leg before Pakistan umpire Ahsan Raza in the penultimate over before tea, but the decision was reversed after a review by the home team.
In the next over wicketkeeper Ollie Pope failed to catch Azhar down the leg-side off pacer Ollie Robinson, much to the chagrin of his teammates.
A total of 1,236 runs were scored by the two teams in their first innings -- England 657 and Pakistan 579 -- before the visitors set the Test alight by declaring their second innings at 264-7 on Sunday.
England's hope now will be the second new ball due in three overs after tea, as none of their spinners could extract adequate turn from a last day pitch that has been severely criticised for being flat and slow.
Pakistan batted with caution in the first session as they progressed from an overnight total of 80-2 to 169-3, losing opener Imam-ul-Haq for 48 to pacer James Anderson.
Mohammad Rizwan was one of two wickets to fall in the second session for 46, putting a fighting 87-run stand for the fourth wicket with Saud Shakeel, who scored 76.
In the fourth over after lunch, Anderson had Rizwan caught behind while Robinson dismissed Shakeel to an excellent catch by substitute Keaton Jennings at short cover.
Shakeel, playing his first Test knocked 12 boundaries while Rizwan hit six boundaries and two sixes.
Anderson has figures of 2-35 and Robinson 2-47.
But since then Azhar and Salman added 59 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket stand, much to the delight of the 13,000-strong crowd.
England are on their first Test tour of Pakistan since 2005, having declined to visit in the interim years on security grounds.
The second Test is in Multan from December 9-13, and the third in Karachi from December 17-21.