12:52: And now the umpires are making a rocking entry out on the field for an inspection. Alright, so Firdose has completed her investigation and got to the root cause of the super sopper's problem; the fuel hose came off, and it's now being fixed. Should be okay in like 10 minutes. And Danyal adds that the rain has completely stopped and the clouds are breaking up

12:43: Big super sopper is stationary - looks like there's an issue with it, maybe some rain got into its engine - and there's a chat going on between, seemingly, the reserve umpire and the groundman

12:42: "Umpire walking out with an umbrella, but it's not raining at all now," says Danyal from the venue

12:38: One super sopper is doing some mopping up but nothing else is happening, mentions Firdose. Meanwhile, Danyal sees the brighter side, saying, 'It looks a fair bit brighter now'

Hamid: "Highest successful chase in the 4th innings on this ground is 251 by England, but that was in the famous test where both teams forfeited their either innings, which means the pitch was lesser used. The second highest chase was 226 by South Africa. So anything above 200, and Pakistan are in with a good chance." But there has been a higher score made in the fourth innings of a Test in Centurion

Odinlass: "Agree with the point about the sports psychologist. Stability within the PCB will also go a long way in helping the players, I feel. But another thing that I feel can be thought about is the handling of players' injuries, recovery and subsequent workload and health/fitness management. I think Pakistan has had a fair few fast bowlers not come back to their old form, fitness and speeds post injuries. So that would be a major point for me." That's been a nagging issue too; handling injuries and rehabilitation

Gautam: "Don't you think Paksitan are getting their middle order wrong? Saud bats at 3 in FC. he certainly has the game to bat there and the fact he's added some positive intent to his previously over cautious approach is a bonus. Based on what I've seen, Ghulam could be an excellent modern no.5 in the mould of Pant, Head, Brook. And no.4 is obviously Babar's best position"

Amnah: "Can't agree enough on having a sports psychologist on a team can be a game-changer. They help athletes develop mental resilience, focus, and confidence, which are just as critical as physical skills. By addressing stress, motivation, and teamwork, they ensure players perform at their best under pressure." I'm in absolute agreement with you; it's a must in elite sports

maddy: "interesting take on the sports psychologist stuff Rvel, but the problem is that both PCB and general fans take all players (not just Babar) as expendable and disposable commodities. It's always like, "drop him, bring the other one into the team"; they are not interested in investing in a player when he is down." Maybe not always the case, given how they have persisted with some mainstays, and we have the example of Saim Ayub, who has been given a long run, and he is repaying the faith now. Also, there has been inconsistency in the upper echelons of the PCB which obviously doesn't help in establishing consistent policies

12:07pm It has stopped raining now but the forecast for the rest of the afternoon is bad, Firdose says. So my weather app was right, but I still do not want to look at it. Hopefully we see some action today

Ashok Sridharan: "I'm afraid its advantage SA with the rains & possibly overcast conditions & fresh, well rested bowlers. Unless today's play is completely washed out, Pakistan have a himalayan task ahead" Still would be a humongous task even if today is a washout, though i would like to see some cricket, like most of us here

12 noon It is now time for lunch, which means the opening session of the third day has been washed out. Hang on tight, hopefully better news on the other side (though it is still raining)

11:38am Uh oh! It has started to rain heavily again. So scratch all of the previous updates. And there is also the confirmation that lunch will be taken at noon. The waiting game continues...

Muhammad Umar : "A 50 from both Babar and Suad and 30 runs each from Rizwan, Salman and Amir Jamal will set things for Pakistan. Target of 200 is definitely a challenging target in overcast conditions. Your thoughts?" Fair, Pakistan first need to see off the first couple of spells from Rabada and Jansen. Only then can we start thinking of possible targets

11:27am Brighter news. Both Danyal and Firdose spot the umpires making their way out now that the rain has stopped. The super sopper is out to do its thing now

11:18am The rain has got lighter and it is suddenly looking bright, says Danyal. Firdose is in the stands and adds that the rain has pretty much stopped. I am going to constantly ask them for weather updates and not look at the weather app I have, because it shows that the chances of precipitation should get higher from around noon local time

10:50am Hello folks. I am afraid the only news I have right now is of more rain and it has gotten heavier. Danyal and Firdose both tell me it is pouring. The drainage at SuperSport Park is pretty good, but the downpour will have to stop completely for that to have any effect.

Usama: "I can feel a 120-130 from babar coming up. He performs when the team is up against the wall IN TESTS. Am I getting ahead of myself? :p" Only time will tell

10:35 It's falling steadily now with strong gusts. The pictures look gloomy at this stage

Time for me to step away and grab some lunch. Sudarshanan is ready to take the comms seat

I think Pakistan could benefit from having a sports psychologist on their coaching staff. A technical coach is primarily focused on strategy and skills, but not on managing stress or the coping strategies needed in elite sports. A sports psychologist could help players thrive under pressure and navigate the obstacles they face in their careers. Taking Babar Azam as an example, I don't think it's a technical issue but perhaps there has been a dip in his self-efficacy and confidence over the past year. He needs to reflect on his past achievements to raise his self-belief and simultaneously work on overcoming any internal and external barriers to get into the right frame of mind, which could help him regain consistency

Shabby: "Egarly waited the whole night for the first spell against Babar Azam, rescheduled my day. Should I wait or start doing my work? Zahid your suggestions are required." I think you can resume work but keep the ESPN tab open because we're surely going to see some action

Getting lighter again

10:15: Umm, more bad news I'm afraid. The rain has gotten heavier but we have plenty of time left in this Test match and the weather is expected to clear up in a few hours at most. Keep your hopes high

Django : "SA are known to wobble. Set them upward of 150 then take a couple of early wickets, and the Pakistani win is a possibility. It will make for marvellous viewing. "

Yaqoob: "An anchoring big innings is long overdue for Babar. He hasn't scored a century since his 161 against kiwis in December 2022."

Habib: "How come in this test, when South africa was batting it was bright and sunny and every time Pakistan is batting, its always overcast. What kind of home advantage is this ? :p"

Firdose points out that it's hardly even a drop and there's no ground staff in sight

09:54: As we wait for the rain to clear, it's a great time to enjoy some pre-day reading and catch up on everything

'Frustrated' but not 'out of touch' - Markram keen to contribute more - Firdose Moonda

Naseem Shah smiles at Test cricket on a rollercoaster day - Danyal Rasool

Stats - Corbin Bosch's boss-mode outing in the Boxing Day Test

And the Day Two report: Pakistan lose their way after Bosch bash hands South Africa advantage

The bigger covers are coming on and the rain is light and steady

Yaqoob: "3 down, still in deficit, 3 days to go, and overcast conditions with Rabada holding a ball that is still fresh and shiny. This is ominous if you are a Pakistan fan."

Colin : "SA must strike early this morning, else they will have a day of chasing leather. Day 3 at Centurion is normally a good day for batting."

09:38: Not the news you want to hear when you just wake up but we're going to have a delayed start because it's raining, and live pictures show Shaun Pollock with his umbrella up, doing analysis for the broadcaster

09:33: Hello and welcome to the coverage of Day 3 of this engrossing Test match. Pakistan started their innings confidently, with the openers playing positively. But a peach from Rabada triggered a slide and Pakistan lost three wickets before stumps. Can Babar Azam step up and score a big knock or will South Africa continue to tighten their grip on the match? South Africa have plenty at stake as a win will guarantee their entry into the World Test Championship final

Join us for the action on day three, with Pakistan looking for a big partnership. Before that, they will, of course, not want to lose any further wickets ahead of wiping the deficit off. But South Africa clearly hold the edge, and remember, are only one win away from making it to the WTC final. They must have started dreaming of Lord's 2025 already. See you tomorrow! Take care!

Frank: "South Africa look strong and in a good position to win this game. Pakistan have a huge mountain to climb from Day 3 onward."

5.06pm Confirmed: it is stumps for today due to bad light. Just a little more than 20 minutes remained in the day after accounting for the extra half an hour, but we go home early. Anyway, although Pakistan looked like having pulled it back a bit on day one, day two belonged entirely to South Africa. Markram (89) and Bosch (81*) led their effort with the bat, with the latter adding a combined 88 for the last two wickets. Pakistan eventually fell 90 behind, and walk back after effectively being minus 2 for 3 despite starting with a 49-run opening partnership.

5.01pm The umpires bring the light meter out, and take a reading. It had started to get a little gloomy since the last few minutes, and this seemed inevitable. And... play is stopped due to bad light. Going by some grey clouds around, I feel this could be it for today.

Jahangir: "By any means, Babar has to score a ton over here."