Australia responded strongly to Pakistan’s monster first innings total in the first Test on Sunday but bad light saw play abandoned for the second-consecutive day.
At 3.53pm, with 21 overs left in the day, players were taken from the field with the heavy Rawalpindi skies too dark for play to resume.
Australia was in control at 2-271, and now trails Pakistan by 205 runs with two days to play.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will resume batting for Australia on Monday on 69 and 24 respectively.
Following Pakistan’s first innings of 4-476d, the score for all batters this Test is now 6-747.
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After two days of toiling away in the field, day three belonged to Australia with the Rawalpindi wicket still offering little tricks for the bowlers to work with.
The runs flowed for the Australians, who were scoring at 3.71 runs an over when play was called off.
David Warner was the first Australian wicket to fall in the 41st over after a 156-run opening partnership with Usman Khawaja. He was bowled by Sajid Khan whose delivery skidded through and stayed low to beat him for 68.
Commentator Rob Key and former Australia opener Simon Katich questioned why Warner backed away instead of playing a front-foot defence.
“He was the master of his own downfall on that occasion,” Key said.
Katich added: “He’d be disappointed with that, he played so well … he could have easily come forward and defended on the front foot.”
Khawaja, meanwhile, went big in the country of his birth but cruelly came up just three runs short of a century.
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In his first competitive match in his country of birth, Khawaja was dropped twice on his way to 97 but was caught at short leg while playing a risky reverse sweep to Nauman Ali.
The ball popped up off his glove and he was given out after a successful DRS review.
Commentator Mike Haysman was stunned at Khawaja’s shot selection with a special century on the line.
“Why, oh why did he play that shot on 97? I have no idea what he was thinking,” he said.
It would have been Khawaja’s third Test century in his past five innings.
Labuschagne looked at ease at the crease in his 117-ball stay while Smith was also resolute in reaching 24* off 55 balls.
Australia will need to bat aggressively and swiftly post a massive total on day four to stand any chance of winning the match, which appears destined for a draw.