Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach leave Pakistan in a spin as England close in on victory

Leach picked up three quick wickets in the first session while Rehan collected 5 for 48, becoming the youngest debutant to take a five-for in men's Test cricket in the process

Karachi (day three of five): Pakistan 304 & 216, England 354 & 112-2 - England need 55 runs to win with eight second-innings wicket in hand

Scorecard

England are on the brink of a 3-0 series win over Pakistan after a pair of dominant bowling performances from spin duo Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach.

Leach (3 for 72) picked up three quick wickets in the first session to destabilise the top order before Rehan became the youngest debutant to take a five-for in men's Tests as Pakistan were all out for 216.

At close on day three, England require 55 runs to win with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 50 (38) and Ben Stokes not out on 10 (15).

Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood started the day in positive fashion, weathering Mark Wood's bowling and attacking Joe Root, before the introduction of Jack Leach shifted the momentum back in England's favour.

^{Jack Leach picked up three early wickets for England [Matthew Lewis/Getty Images]}

The spinner struck three times in seven deliveries to reduce Pakistan to 54 for 3, or effectively 4 for 3 given the 50-run deficit they started the innings with.

Masood (24) dragged a reckless reverse sweep onto his stumps and retiring batter Azhar Ali (0) was bowled for a four-ball duck in the 16th over while Shafique (26) was pinned lbw in the 18th, the third time this series he has been dismissed by Leach.

Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel knuckled down to dig their side out of the mire, putting on 110 runs off 219 balls for the fourth wicket and were beginning to motor when the former brought up his second half-century of the match off 100 balls in the 53rd.

However, Stokes' decision to introduce Rehan Ahmed paid dividends. Three balls after taking the applause of the crowd, Babar drilled the teenager to Ollie Pope at midwicket to depart for 54 (104).

^{Babar Azam scored a half-century for Pakistan [Matthew Lewis/Getty Images]}

The youngster soon added two more names to his list of victims, removing Mohammad Rizwan in the 57th and Saud Shakeel – still waiting for his first Test century after scoring four fifties in six innings - in the 59th: Pakistan 177 for 6.

Root heaped further misery on Pakistan a handful of deliveries after tea, removing Faheem Ashraf for one, and Mark Wood got in on the act 10 overs later, trapping Nauman Ali lbw to bring an end his 30-run stand with Agha Salman.   

But it was Rehan who had the final say with the ball, accounting for Mohammad Wasim and Salman in back-to-back overs to finish with 5 for 48 from his 14.5 overs.

Crawley and Duckett were in no mood to hang out during England's chase, bludgeoning boundaries off the spinners for a brisk 87-run opening stand before the former was removed by Abrar Ahmed for a run-a-ball 41.

Man of the hour, Rehan (10), emerged at No.3, crunched his first ball for four and departed seven balls later, leaving Stokes and Duckett to see England to close in the fading light.