Pakistan vs Australia Live Cricket Score, 2nd Test, Day 3

M Abbas to Head, On a length, around middle, tucked through backward square leg for a single.

M Abbas to Head, Full and outside off, driven straight to point.

M Abbas to Head, Outside off, angling away, left alone.

M Abbas to Head, FOUR! Off the edge. First runs of the day. Full and outside off, Head pushes at it half-heartedly and gets an outside edge. It rolls along the ground past gully and reaches the third man fence. Australia will hope that they get the ball towards the boundary ropes a bit more frequently. The outfield in that part is still damp and it will be difficult to bowl with the wet ball. 50 UP FOR AUSTRALIA. The stand is worth 41 now. Head moves to 21 from 31 balls, with his third boundary.

M Abbas to Head, A peach first up. On a length outside off, Head feels for it but there is some late movement and the ball beats the outside edge.

The players are out in the middle. Mohammad Abbas to start off proceedings to Travis Head. Here we go!

Tim Paine is having a chat with Brendon Julian. admits that it is a big task, no doubt, needing another 491 runs. But also says that they will take the confidence from the previous game. On the weather, Tim says that they would like to play out every over that they get. Amidst that in all likelihood, Usman Khawaja will not bat, though a late decision might be taken, based on the situation of the game. On the plans for today, TP says they have been laid down pretty simple - bat long, get partnerships and score runs. On the freaking Azhar Ali run out yesterday, the Aussie skipper smiles and says that he has not seen anything like that before but compares Marnus Labuschagne's brain freeze with the same. Says that initially, even he thought it will be a boundary but then saw Mitchell Starc chasing the same. Cheekily adds that he deliberately did not shout on seeing the batsmen mid-pitch but slyly waited for the throw to come and did the rest. Smart cricket. (Not sure whether Niroshan Dickwella, Sarfraz Ahmed or Rishabh Pant would have done the same. Might have yelled their throats out to distract everyone).

WEATHER REPORT - If you are in Kandy, you might grab a candy and sit indoors, enjoying the rain. If you are in Abu Dhabi, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. There was a storm last night and it rained a bit this morning. It is heavily overcast with the sun looking to peak out. However, we should have a start on time.

Okay. Now, let us talk about the match. After being reduced to 57/5 in the first innings, this match has all been Pakistan's. They have not looked back since and as a result, set a target of a mammoth 538 in front of Australia. Talk about the overs, well, the visitors do have a possible 180 more. They need another 491 runs with a required run rate of 2.73. Easy, isn't it? Yaa... I remember once scoring 1024/4 in a computer game. Plenty of laptops and digital assistants around Justin Langer - but he will need more than just those to see his team fight the match out, let alone win this.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have also contributed to the breaking news factor. Their skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed, was hit on the head by a Peter Siddle bouncer yesterday and has gone to the hospital to see a doctor - reporting slight concussion. The 'hosts' do have a reserve keeper, Mohammad Rizwan, in the squad but will they miss their captaincy bit? A calmer Asad Shafiq has been handed the responsibility. Interesting. With Azhar Ali in the playing XI. Very interesting.

Let us focus on the breaking news first. Usman Khawaja did not take the field at all yesterday, due to a slight injury during warm-up. That 'slight' injury has ruled him out of cricketing action for at least 8 weeks. OUCH. He must be feeling the pain even more now. That means Pakistan need 9 wickets to wrap up this match and series, of which they have already got one, in the form of Shaun Marsh.

Australia, a wicket down. Also, a batsman short with Usman Khawaja injured. Pakistan are without their captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, who got hurt yesterday. Does that even things a bit? Maybe not. Hello and a warm welcome - sorry, HOT welcome - to the fourth and possibly, the final day of the second Test between Pakistan and Australia in Abu Dhabi.

... DAY 4 ...

It was a long day for the Australians. Pakistan managed to post up a humongous total on the board courtesy four superb fifties from Zaman, Ali, Sarfraz and Babar. Now, Australia must respond. The task will be to save this match first. Bat as deep as possible and then take it from there. The surface is on the slower side and turning and will only cause more problems. The Pakistan bowlers will give them trouble and they will have to dig deep to get something out of it. Join us at 1000 local (0600 GMT) for Day 4. Could be the last day of the Test. Cheers!

The target is irrelevant right now. Australia lost Shaun Marsh today, when Hamza bowled him out, so have 9 wickets remaining. Post that, Finch and Head managed to hang on and end the day without suffering the loss of any more wickets. There were a couple of close calls, with Pakistan coming close on a couple of occasions, but nothing too threatening.

Y Shah to Finch, Finch sees the day off without any further damage. Shah drops it short outside off, the batsman lets it be. STUMPS ON DAY 3!

Y Shah to Head, Thinks of coming ahead first but then goes back at the last second. Flicks it to backward square leg and both batsmen take off. The throw comes in to Sarfraz, but Finch makes it inside well in time.

Y Shah to Finch, Finch backs away and punches it through the gap in the covers for a single.

Y Shah to Finch, Touch quicker in pace, blocked from the back foot.

Y Shah to A Finch, Edged but just short. A little bit of turn from Yasir Shah, it goes away and takes the edge as Finch is forward to defend. Falls just short of the first slip fielder.