England skipper Ben Stokes' direct hit to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja wasn't just the turning point of the first Test but could also be one that decides the course of the series as India's No 1 all-rounder across formats was seen struggling with a hamstring niggle.
Centurion Steve Smith praised Australia's bowlers after they reduced England to 107 for eight in the first innings to set up a victory bid in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Friday.
Centurion Alastair Cook paid tribute on Monday to the services of batting coach Graham Gooch after his 118 put England in control of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead.
South Africa shredded through the Indian batting line-up to claim victory by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test.
Kagiso Rabada grabbed a five-wicket haul before K L Rahul rallied India to 208/8 on a rain-hit Day 1 of the first Test.
South Africa meet India in Centurion in the opening Test starting on December 26 before moving to Cape Town for the second match from January 3.
Ajinkya Rahane might have endured a wretched run with the willow but he was the "happiest man" at the Wankhede on Thursday, having led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title.
India descended to the 6th position in the ICC World Test Championship points table due to a 2-point penalty
Neither does Shreyas Iyer wants to harp on the past nor is he keen to fret about what the future has in store for him. He just wants to "stay in the moment" and seize the day, as the illustrious Sunil Gavaskar advised him while giving the India cap.
'I knew it wasn't going to be an easy series. Three more to go. We'll keep our check on it and make sure we do most things right.'
Swing bowler Vernon Philander sent a strong message to the South African one-day international selectors about his prowess in the 50-over game with a superb performance as the Proteas defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the final match of the series in Centurion on Saturday.
Team India is in Cape Town intensively preparing for the match at Newlands, which begins on Wednesday. In a rigorous training session, players exhibited resilience, showcasing their determination to bounce back.
Oman's Bank Muscat, the Gulf Arab state's biggest, said on Saturday it had bought a 26 per cent stake in India's Centurion Bank.\n\n\n\n
South Africa is set for a fairytale farewell as Dean Elgar takes the helm in the final Test against India
VIn a dramatic turn of events on Day 3, India faced a resounding defeat against South Africa in the first Test as their batting lineup crumbled, managing only 131 runs in the second innings after the hosts posted a formidable 408 in their initial essay.
Rajasthan seamers did well to keep LSG down to under 200 before Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel guided the team home.
He should have played ahead of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna in the Test series opener against South Africa but when Mukesh Kumar finally got his chance at Newlands, the Indian team realised what exactly it missed during the mauling in Centurion.
What went wrong for India in the first Test against South Africa? Harish Kotian has the answers.
South African coach Corrie van Zyl rues that the SuperSport Park pitch at Centurion has slowed down but feels that there should be enough mongrel in the strip to bother the Indian top-order in the first Test starting December 16.
In what should please the Indians, South African fast bowlers will be denied a green top in the first Test at Centurion as the curator fears that he could be in the line of fire if the visiting bowlers get to exploit it first.
Kohli is known to come to nets with specific purpose and on Monday, it seemed he wanted to extensively bat against a left-arm pacer.
A list of top 10 centurions from each Test playing nation.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who entered the elite 500 Test wicket club at Rajkot, climbed a rung to the second position behind pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Thakur, who was the first player to enter the throwdown nets, was hit on the left shoulder while facing throwdowns from batting coach Vikram Rathour.
David Bedingham said it is a dream to score a hundred in front of friends and family as he owes them a lot.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between South Africa and India, at SuperSports Park, Centurion, on Thursday.
IMAGES from the Day 2 of the first Test between South Africa and India, at Centurion, on Wednesday.
ashasvi Jaiswal could cement his place in the Indian Test side during the upcoming five-Test series against England at home, said batting legend Sunil Gavaskar.
Rohit Sharma wants his team to be the first one from India to win a Test series in South Africa.
They are scheduled to fly out to Johannesburg on Friday.
However, he is expected to be back in time for the first Test against South Africa, starting on December 26.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said following India's series draw with South Africa, that the hosts were the most "beatable team" and 185 by opener Dean Elgar in the first Centurion Test prevented India from creating history.
Following India's win over South Africa in the second Test which lasted for barely two days, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra heaped praises on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his six-wicket haul.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final matches played on Sunday.
He has scored 994 runs in 35 innings at an average of 31.06. However, his statistics suggest his struggle against red-ball giants like New Zealand, England and now South Africa.
England, with a series win already secured, can complete South Africa's ignominious fall from the top of the rankings when the final Test of the four-match series starts at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Friday.
Vidarbha took command of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Madhya Pradesh with the key wicket of Yash Dubey (94) late on Day 4.
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