A dejected Rishabh Pant, who captained India in the second and final Test in Guwahati, apologised to the fans for the team's poor showing against South Africa.
Virat Kohli ruled out any possibility of returning to Test or Twenty20 internationals after his player-of-the-match century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Gill stretchered out with neck injury; ''just bad timing'', says Morne Morkel
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again threw her weight behind Sourav Ganguly, saying the former India captain should have been the International Cricket Council president by now and warned, in her trademark style that "it's not that easy to stop him."
India skipper KL Rahul said his side needed to be sharper in key moments but felt the toss played a decisive role in the home team's four-wicket loss to South Africa in the second ODI, in Raipur, on Tuesday.
Throughout the Test series, Indian batters struggled against a strong South African bowling attack. Indian batters averaged just 15.23 across the two-match Test series against South Africa.
India require a victory in the third and final ODI to avoid a second successive series defeat against the Proteas after succumbing 0-2 in the preceding Tests.
Jaiswal ticked a box in the third ODI with his maidan ton and Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with a hundred at Raipur, leaving Gambhir pleased as punch.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the players feel comfortable by backing them, while Virat Kohli's aggression and uncompromising standards proved vital in moments of crisis.
India clinched the five-match T20I series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain, in Brisbane, on Saturday.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Virat Kohli said he is 'feeling really free' mentally after producing another match-winning effort to help India clinch the three-match ODI series.
'One who was aggressive in the Powerplay, and the other after the Powerplay when wickets were falling he turned into an adamant batter, who batted sensibly and was not ready to give away his wicket.'
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
India will be bolstered by the return of former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - both of whom have retired from Test cricket - adding more depth and experience to the side.
I won't be able to play freely if I focus on criticism: Harshit Rana
Vaibhav Suryavanshi's record-breaking hundred highlight of morning leg in SMAT
Architect of South Africa's series-levelling win in the second ODI against India here, Aiden Markram says scoring runs matters only when the team wins and he felt responsible for the visitors' defeat in the first ODI by a small margin.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Virat Kohli's second successive ton during the second ODI against South Africa here seemed "inevitable" as the stalwart got off the mark with a six, carrying the confidence of his first-game heroics, feels former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
Minnows Tripura shocked a team full of cash-rich IPL stars by 12 runs in a Group D match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in Ahmedabd, on Tuesday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has laid bare its blueprint for Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, making it clear that India's pace spearhead will be preserved for the biggest stages
Jadeja returned to haunt South Africa with the ball after the Proteas came out to bat for the second time in the match.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma downplayed Shukri Conrad's controversial remarks that he wanted India to "really grovel".
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
Guwahati made its debut as the newest Test match centre as India took on South Africa in the second and final game of the two-match series on Saturday.
A Test match in India usually starts at 9:30 am and the day's play ends at 4:30 pm, while the game in Guwahati will begin at 9 am and end at 4 pm.
For spin great Neetu David it was a culmination of a lifelong dream -- to see the India women's team finally end their wait for a World title.
India's players lauded batting maestro Virat Kohli after his scintillating century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray targeted the BCCI over India Pakistan cricket matches in the Asia Cup
The Asia Cup champions will not have it easy against the Mitch Marsh-led Aussies at home as the Indians were seen going hard in the nets on Monday.
Potential windfall for women's squad: BCCI might match prize money of T20 WC winning men's team
Shardul Thakur will lead Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The 17-member squad includes India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube.
'Emotions run high. You are expected to win pretty much every game. You are expected to win because you have been doing that consistently. You have the strength on your side to achieve those kinds of milestones and secure those kinds of victories. So, accountability and appraisal are always going to be there. So, it goes hand in hand.'
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has pulled out of next month's IPL 2026 auction and will instead play in the Pakistan Super League.
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