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."