Pakistan's spinners Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed bagged three wickets before lunch as England fumbled to 140-4 on the second day of the third and final Test in Karachi on Sunday.
Resuming at 7-1, England lost three wickets in the morning session and trailed Pakistan's first innings total of 304 by 164 runs with six wickets intact.
At the interval, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes were at the crease on 38 and 25 respectively as England looked to inflict a first-ever 3-0 clean sweep on Pakistan on their home grounds.
England won the first Test by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and the second in Multan by 26.
Brook has once again taken the attack to the Pakistan bowlers like he did with his twin centuries in the first two Tests, having so far hit two sixes and three boundaries.
With the National Stadium pitch offering turn, left-armer Nauman trapped Ben Duckett leg before for 26 and had the experienced Joe Root caught low in the slip by Agha Salman for nought on the next ball.
Ollie Pope stood firm amidst the dual wicket fall, reaching his 11th fifty before he was bowled by Ahmed for 51, adding to the wicket he took on Saturday.
Pope hit four boundaries in his knock.