South Africa continued their recent dominance of Australia in this format having won 11 of their last 12 ODI meetings dating back to 2016.
Janneman Malan, who was out to the first ball of the match on debut on Saturday, anchored the South African reply, taming his usual swashbuckling style to score 129 not out from 139 balls and lead the home side to victory with nine balls to spare.
Heinrich Klaasen smashed an unbeaten century as South Africa claimed a 74-run victory over Australia in their first one-dayer played on a slow Boland Park wicket on Saturday. After winning the toss, South Africa overcame an early wobble to post 291 for seven in their 50 overs, a total boosted by the maiden ODI ton from middle-order batsman Klaasen, who crashed 123 from 114 balls. Australia were up with the run-rate for much of their reply, but South Africa then strangled the scoring with intelligent use of the slow pitch as the visitors slumped to 217 all out from 45.1 overs.
Tendulkar reminded that along with the mindset, it is also about ability, which Sehwag had in abundance.
Siraj became the 298th player to play Test cricket for India
'There aren't too many guys... that have averaged higher than Steve in Test cricket. Clearly they are huge shoes to fill and we don't put all that pressure on Marnus'
Smith was struck on the neck by a Jofra Archer bouncer during his innings on Saturday, forcing him to retire hurt, but he returned to the crease 40 minutes later and added 12 runs before being dismissed for 92.
'It'll test us out, no doubt, against a good Indian outfit .... They beat us out here last time and they're a very good side'
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels New Zealand and England don't deserve to get the second and fourth spot in the ICC Test rankings as they haven't won enough Test series in the last two years.
Mark Waugh reckons the 25-year-old will succeed at the No 4 spot against Indian spinners.
The two groups will unite late on Thursday night and with the opening ODI slated for Friday, the players will have no scope to wriggle in a practice session as one unit.
Following is a fact box on the final Test of the four-match series between Australia and India
India's formidable pace attack will not be as effective as New Zealand speedster Neil Wagner in bowling bouncers during their upcoming tour of Australia, believes wicketkeeper Matthew Wade. Wagner bowling a barrage of bouncers and dismissing Australia's three leading batsmen -- Steve Smith, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne -- a combined 10 times was one of the rare positives for New Zealand in an otherwise one-sided Test series last season.
Wade will instead head to New Zealand with Australia's Twenty20 squad for a five-match series starting on Feb. 22 in Christchurch.
The problem with non-selection of an Indian player in the XI is more to do with lack of matches rather than poor show since they have won both the series that they played in 2021.
'I think they need to have a good look at how they're playing.'
India retained their number one spot and captain Virat Kohli remained static at second in the ICC rankings. India have 116 rating points, six more than New Zealand with third-placed Australia accumulating 108 points.
Debutant Pakistan off-spinner Bilal Asif ripped through the Australian middle-order with six wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 202 on the third day of the first Test, in Dubai, on Tuesday.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Friday.
Since 2011, England have managed to eke out just a single draw in 13 Ashes Tests over three tours and their last two Tests in Sydney have resulted in humiliating defeats.
Usman Khawaja will replace Travis Head in Australia's middle order for this week's fourth Ashes Test against England in the only change to the side that wrapped up the series in Melbourne last week.
Cameron Green suffered a mild concussion after being hit on the head by a shot from Jasprit Bumrah
Pujara was placed sixth, down one rung, with 791 points, while Rahane occupied the ninth spot after slipping a couple of positions with 759 points.
IMAGES from the 3rd ODI between India and Australia played in Bengaluru on Sunday
Images from Friday's second One-day International between India and Australia, at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in Rajkot.
Australian captain Aaron Finch is confident Glenn Maxwell's ODI absence won't last long.
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
India were 98 for 2 at close of play on the fourth day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, still 308 runs behind Australia and a full day's batting away from saving the match.
Steve Smith scored Australia's first century of the series to drive the hosts to 338 all out but India stood firm with 96 for two to leave the third Test in the balance at the end of the second day in Sydney on Friday.
Smith has managed just 10 runs in the first two matches, while Labuschagne could not capitalise on the starts
Paine was given out purely based on a Snicko spike as there was no mark on Hot Spot, which is the correct protocol.
'He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him'
Mohammed Siraj is a beautiful story that can always invoke an entire gamut of emotions -- sadness for the tragedies he has endured, thrill for the way he is attaining mastery over his craft and joy for his success at the highest level.
Josh Hazlewood took five for eight as Australia romped to an emphatic victory by eight wickets inside three days in the first Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday after skittling India for 36, their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket.
Hazlewood to miss out again as Australia announce unchanged playing XI for final Test
Cummins said there is always a sense of excitement when they approach a pink ball Test.
Batting great Rahul Dravid feels with 'impactful' Steve Smith and David Warner back in their ranks this time around, India will face stiff challenge in their Test tour of Australia later this year. The disgraced duo of Smith and Warner missed India's historic away Test series win over Australia in 2018 because of their one-year bans for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering episode in South Africa.
Babar Azam fell one run short of his maiden century as Pakistan set Australia a mammoth victory target of 538 on day three of the second and final Test.
India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma maintained their supremacy at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, occupying the first and second spots respectively in the latest list released on Wednesday.
Cummins hopes the conditions this time would be in Australia's favour, saying they would need to get the likes of Pujara out of his comfort zone to stop India.
