CRICKET/Pakistan v England: Ruthlessly, relentlessly Pakistan batted themselves into a position of such strength on the third day of the final Test that unless there is a sea-change of such massive proportion that it defies all logic, it is almost inconceivable that they can throw away the match and a win in the series.
By the time the light became too bad, Pakistan had taken their overnight 185 for four, still 103 behind England and a precarious position given the possible incapacity of Inzamam-ul-Haq, to one of utter dominance.
That England managed one wicket before lunch was an achievement in itself given the way the day panned out, even if it was only the nightwatchman.
They never managed another for the rest of the day - hardly came close - and suffered as Mohammad Yousuf, a thorn in their side on the last tour and prickly once again here, completed his 14th Test hundred by lofting Shaun Udal straight for six and, at 183 not out, had his sights on a double and his highest score of 204 not out. To think he was dropped when just 16.
He had real character as company, for Kamran Akmal, the diminutive young wicketkeeper, produced an innings of the highest calibre and walked from the field, at the close of play,unbeaten on 115, his second and highest Test century.
His driving through the offside, in particular, and, occasionally, straight was exemplary. Already their unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 199 had placed them in the highest echelons of such stands for Pakistan or against England, depending on your standpoint.
Footsore is an understatement for the England bowlers, who encountered a pitch that after its first-morning skittishness had become as flat as the atmosphere must have been in the dressing room when they glanced at the scoreboard and saw it read 446 for five.
In the first Test in Multan, Pakistan conceded a first-innings deficit of 144 and won, but here the lead was already 159 and the situation gloomy.
Mother always said there would be days like this but they do not happen that often. Two summers ago, South Africa batted through the first day of the opening Test at Edgbaston for the loss of a single wicket and did so again on the second day of the following match at Lord's.
On each occasion, though, England at least managed to dismiss a proper batsman, first in Herschelle Gibbs and then Gary Kirsten. Yesterday all England had to show for it was the wicket of Shoaib Akhtar - career average 8.8 - but not before he had made his highest Test score of 38, including two sixes, and added 67 with Yousuf.
Pakistan even came close to rubbing English noses in the dust at the end of the day by refusing the first offer of bad light and it took four fiery short deliveries from Steve Harmison, delivered from round the wicket and aimed in the general direction of Akmal's head, to persuade Yousuf at the other end that discretion was the better option.
It was an understandable reaction from Harmison, though, whose figures did not reflect a sterling performance.
On another day, when fortune smiled a little more fondly, he might have had good wickets. Yesterday, anything that went in the air eluded fielders tantalisingly.
His was not a lone battle, for he received some good support in particular from Liam Plunkett, who appears to have more control of his line than many and hits the bat hard.
Having taken the wicket of Shoaib, who let his ambition get the better of him and skied to cover, he might even have gathered the late wicket of Akmal, who in approaching his hundred was getting jittery.
But Marcus Trescothick, in a floating slip position, was unable to hang on to an edge low to his left when Akmal had 95.
It might be prudent to draw a veil over the rest of the England bowling, but without the variety offered by the injured Simon Jones, and any movement for Matthew Hoggard with the second new ball, they looked toothless.
In particular Andrew Flintoff, so often the saviour with the ball, frankly appears knackered and no matter how large his heart a fellow can only be expected to do so much: his future management is crucial.
Final Test Scoreboard
Overnight: England 288 (P D Collingwood 96, M P Vaughan 58, M E Trescothick 50). Pakistan 185-4 (Mohammad Yousuf 84 no).
Pakistan: First Innings:
Mohammad Yousuf not out 183
Inzamam ul-Haq retd hurt 35
Shoaib Akhtar c Udal b Plunkett 38
Kamran Akmal not out 115
Extras b1 lb9 w4 nb7 pens 0 21
Total 5 wkts (127.4 overs) 446
Fall: 1-0, 2-12, 3-68, 4-180, 5-247.
To Bat: Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria.
Bowling: Hoggard 18-4-58-2; Flintoff 29-8-66-0; Harmison 33.4-3-115-1; Plunkett 24-1-95-2; Udal 15-1-71-0; Collingwood 6-0-22-0; Bell 2-0-9-0.
