Looks like South Africa are well on the way to winning again and taking the series 2-0.

South Africa got 357 in the 1st innings and then skittled the supposedly strengthened Pakistan line up for 206.Once more Kaneria is being outbowled at home by a supposed lesser overseas spinner in Harris who is having a great series as is Dale Steyn.

2nd time round South Africa are 28-0 so lead by 179,another 150 or so and they should have enough to win.

Well, they are nearly there. 305 ahead with Smith and Kallis in business and 8 wickets left. Unless it rains, I think Pakistan are looking at a 2-0 defeat at home. I guess some heads are likely to roll after this.

Just heads? Entire bodies ought to role actually. Pakistan's confused policies have backfired spectacularly in this series. Playing 2 spinners in Karachi was debatable enough, in Lahore its just madness. And then on top of that, to play two spinners and have one of them bowl only a handful of overs thereby substantially augmenting the workload on the other two quicks, its just complete non-sense. Whom ever idea this was (Lawson/Malik) will have some explanation to do at the post-test press conference.

And what do I say of the mad surface we saw in Karachi? Seems we are yet to learn anything from home series of recent past. Openers have continued to be diabolical as usual. In particular this approach to fire of at upwards of six runs an over for the first 40-70 odd runs before throwing your wickets away on a platter with utterly mindless shots is quite perplexing as a strategy. That's not taking anything away from Steyn and even Harris, who have exploited both the conditions as well as the our batsmen's weaknesses with perfection.

Unless there's a dramatic collapse from SA tomorrow (unlikely given Kallis' form), followed by a miraculous farewell innings by Inzi (unlikely given Inzi's recent form) we're going to be whitewashed at home and I can't recall the last time that happened so it would be quite some deal. And frankly, unlike always I can't even gather the hope from some where inside me to see Pakistan some how save/win this test by some miraculous show over the next 2 days, because given the evidence of how we've played in the these first 8 days of this series, their only one side that deserves to win and that's SA.

Having said all of the above, even if SA had been in Pakistan's position I'd have hated the idea of just having a silly 2 match series. Two match test series should ought to be outlawed in my opinion, it just puts far too much emphasis on the first test of a series and there isn't enough drama like that of a 5 match series (where one side can win one test, then the other can make a come back and so on). On a related noted, I'm quite unhappy at the schedule for this season over all. We played this series barely days after arriving from SA from the Twenty 20 World Cup, and then you have two back to back tests, followed by five ODIs in a space of less than a fortnight and then barely a day or so later we're off two India for another tour!

Kallis collects yet another hundred his 27th in tests as well as Smith getting his 12th to crush Pakistan.The lead is now 437 and it is just a case of when the declaration comes,if it comes.

Hmm some very odd cricket from South Africa in the final couple of session has given Pakistan the smallest of outside chances on the final day. You either make damn sure of the draw and the series by batting the other side completely out of the game or you get on with it and give yourself the best possible opportunity of winning the match. South Africa seemed happy to let the game drift and Prince's interminable cameo (god only knows why Boucher or DeVilliers weren't promoted above him) was just staggeringly poor cricket in the circumstances and unsurprisingly it spilled over into a listless bowling performance. If Younis is still batting at lunch with Pakistan only 2/3 down Smith and co could really start feeling the pressure of closing the game out. Though given some of the feeble batting Pakistan have produced in this series an early wicket and it probably will be over well before tea.

Spoke to a friend in India who was watching the match and he said Pakistan bowled tightly and at times negatively, making scoring difficult. But despite the theoretical chance of victory, I think Pakistan will lose this one. A lot depends on how Smith uses his bowlers; Harris is obviously in form and if there is good spin, the skipper might want to try the odd over himself. The 3 main pacemen can be used in turn in the attack mode. I think the key again will be to keep it tight and defensive to start with so that any hope of a succesful run chase becomes remote and then go increasingly onto attack.

One must not forget Kallis with the ball; he has been very tight and economical in the few overs he bowled in this series. No that there is no need to 'protect' him for his batting, it will be useful to make full use of his bowling in the morning to try and keep the run rate down.

Well, I was wrong. Pakistan have got out of this one and done it well. Younis Khan seems to be back in form.