'I fulfilled the promise that I made to myself -- getting Kohli's wicket!'
Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq, who is often blamed for his slow approach to game, showed that he can be an attacking skipper when situation demands. In the crucial game against South Africa, the 40-year-old was seen adopting a carefree approach, which helped the sub-continent nation stun the one of the pre-tournament favourites by 29 runs.
A hostile trio of Pakistan left-arm fast bowlers took full advantage of a pitch freshened by rain to hand pre-tournament favourites South Africa their second defeat in the ICC World Cup.
Senior batsman Faf du Plessis on Monday stepped down as captain of South Africa's Test and T20I teams with immediate effect. Du Plessis, who gave away the ODI captaincy to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock, for the recent series against England, said he took the decision to help South Africa start a new era.
India couldn't have hoped for a worst start to a long South African sojourn but pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Thursday asserted that if one debacle dents the team's confidence then it 'does not deserve' to play Test cricket.
JP Duminy has been named in the South African Twenty20 squad for the three-match home series against West Indies next month, but a number of other top players will again be rested.
AB de Villiers smashed West Indies bowlers from pillar to post for the quickest 150 in one-day internationals on Friday but the South African skipper said only hard work earns a batsman the right to dominate in such a fashion.
Ireland bowler Alex Cusack enjoyed a dream debut, picking up three wickets for 15 runs in the only four overs that he bowled.
Their pace attack has been the most fearsome this IPL season but Sunrisers Hyderabad swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels it would be a tough task for his team to counter the marauding Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen when the two teams clash in the final on Sunday. Hyderabad edged out Gujarat Lions by four wickets on Friday in Qualifier 2 to set up a summit clash with Bangalore, who had beaten the same opponents in Qualifier 1. "We will definitely strategise because I read somewhere the other day that Virat Kohli has scored 35 per cent of RCB's runs. It'll be a big task for us to get (Chris) Gayle, Virat (Kohli) and AB (De Villers) and later, (Shane) Watson, out. We are hoping for a good contest," Bhuvneshwar said at the post match press conference in New Delhi.
There is no change in the top three of the all-rounders' table which is headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.
Sunrisers captain David Warner said his premium pacer Ashish Nehra will be out for a couple of games due to a groin injury he suffered during the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Jacques Kallis feels that conditions in the sub-continent is "not conducive" for producing seam bowling all-rounders, something that the Indian cricket team has lacked for some years now.
Moeen Ali, who is set to return to England to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, says leaving the Indian Premier League midway through the season is a shame, especially when there is a slim chance of Royal Challengers Bangalore making it into the semi-finals if they win all the remaining games.
Eddie Leie made a memorable international debut as he and his spin partner Aaron Phangsio bowled South Africa to a series-clinching 31-run victory in the second and final Twenty20 match against Bangladesh at Mirpur on Tuesday.
Dhoni nearly won the match for CSK with a magnificent 84 not out off 48 balls
South Africa beat Pakistan in the fifth and final ODI to win the series 3-1.
JP Duminy struck a fluent 92 after being elevated to number three in the batting order in South Africa's 73-run victory over a Sri Lankan Cricket Board President's XI in Colombo on Wednesday.
Emphatic batting by AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith handed South Africa a comprehensive victory in the fourth one-day international against Pakistan on Sunday.
The post-match media conference by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got disrupted for the second time in three years at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium, in Rajkot, on Sunday, because of laser show and bursting of crackers by the organisers.
Faf du Plessis pointed out that they were missing out on their best players due to the Kolpak deal.
At stumps, on Day 2 of the third Test, South Africa, replying to India's first innings of 414, were 144 for 1.
Sachin Tendulkar survived an injury scare on Tuesday when X-rays revealed just a bruise on his right thumb.
Opener Herschelle Gibbs is expected to be moved down South Africa's batting order for the second Test against India.
Marlon Samuels was out for 94 as West Indies finished on 281-4 against South Africa in the first Test.
South Africa routed India by nine wickets in the fifth and final ODI to win the series 4-0.
South African captain Graeme Smith is reportedly unhappy with Cricket South Africa's (CSA) announcement of player contracts as it has been difficult for some of the players to handle.
Rahul, who averaged 44 in last year's IPL, was ruled out of the ongoing IPL season as well as from the Champions Trophy after sustaining the shoulder injury during the four-match Test series against Australia in March.
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