IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in Kolkata on Friday.
South Africa's power-packed batting unit suffered a light-out against Australia, but they found enough support from the packed Eden Gardens crowd during the second semifinal of the World Cup in Kolkata on Thursday.
Let's take a look at the standout performers in the bowling department:
The South Africa series in that context is the last big international T20 series that India play followed by one against Afghanistan in mid-January.
Commanding wins in their two opening games have elevated South Africa as favourites in the World Cup but pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada insisted there is still a long way to go and the team is focused on taking one match at a time.
Rassie van der Dussen conceded that South Africa needs to improve chasing runs after Afghanistan's bowlers made things difficult for them in the middle overs in their World Cup match in Ahmedabad on Friday.
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Bangladesh collapsed to 34 for five as the home seamers got exaggerated bounce out of the surface and caught the edge with regularity.
In the ODI rankings, Sri Lanka's two ODI matches at home against Zimbabwe =saw a number of movers, most notably on the bowling side through spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who moved to a career high rating (634) and rank (11th) with four wickets across the matches.
A day after India announced their squad for the all-important tour of South Africa, former spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday questioned Yuzvendra Chahal's selection for the tour, and said that they gave him a "lollypop to suck on."
'There is not much we can do as players, but there is that disparity in the number of games. We have to find a way mentally to meet the challenge.'
Images from the World Cup 2023 match between Australia and South Africa.
'If the ground remains uncovered and the rain stops, you know it doesn't start for another one hour. Suddenly it rains again. So there's no play whatsoever.'
Similarities between Eden Gardens 2010 and Lord's 2008 are remarkable. On the latter occasion, South Africa closed the third day on 13/0 in 4 overs and needed a further 342 to make England bat again. This time South Africa are 6/0 and need a further 341 runs to make India bat again.
Images from the ICC World Cup match between Afghanistan vs South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
'I have been playing for UP since 2013 at No. 5 or 6. So, I have got used to that position. I keep backing myself to play in that position because it is very tough to play in that position if 4-5 wickets are down.'
It means there are two players from India inside the top 10 for fielding ratings, with Australia the only other side to have Warner (third) and Glenn Maxwell (eighth) among the top 10.
Former South African batting legend Barry Richards has slammed the 'ball tampering' rule, saying "ban on use of things like bottle-tops scratching the ball" can be understood but "using the ground is a different issue."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson fractured his thumb during a match against Bangladesh.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between South Africa and India, at SuperSports Park, Centurion, on Thursday.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad slammed the Newlands pitch as 'not great'.
Young leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha has been cut along with fast bowler Nathan Ellis and rookie all-rounder Aaron Hardie.
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South Africa should have been more clinical in the run-chase against Pakistan during the World Cup match in Chennai on Friday, said skipper Temba Bavuma, adding they were lucky to escape by the skin of their teeth.
South Africa's batting great AB de Villiers is clearly disappointed that the ever-growing popularity of T20 Cricket is putting Test cricket 'under pressure'.
Australian team will be aiming to put up a much better batting performance with a rejigged playing eleven against an upbeat South Africa
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South Africa's premier left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is confident that slow bowlers will play a vital role on flat decks expected to be on offer during the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas in June.
'His experience is immense. In our batting chat today (Friday), we basically listened to him. He gave the batting chat as to what the conditions are like, what to expect.'
England have been largely rusty and inconsistent despite having a dangerous squad on paper.
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The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
Kagiso Rabada proved the destroyer-in-chief with 4-103, assisted by Anrich Nortje who took three wickets for 56 runs as England fell short by 107 runs.
Bruised and battered by Chris Gayle's mauling on Wednesday, England are faced with a must-win situation as they look for ways to contain South Africa in their ICC World Twenty20 match in Mumbai on Friday.
The 'Umpire's Call' handed South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi the much-needed lifeline by the barest of margins, which somewhat proved to be the decisive factor in the World Cup encounter against Pakistan in Chennai on Friday.
'As long as the guys understand the way that we want to try play as a team and can keep that close to them when playing in different leagues and tournaments. Then hopefully by the time we meet up for the World Cup, the guys are used to that brand and how we want to operate as a team.'
India started well as opener Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 from 84 balls and former captain Virat Kohli 51 from 63, but when they were dismissed the touring side struggled to keep up with the required run-rate and finished on 265 for eight.
Disillusioned with the 'politics' in South African cricket administration, Brian McMillan decided to stay away from the game.
South Africa have had well documented troubles against spin in the past and Rahul believes the returning Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will be a handful for the hosts in the first two games, with the third to be staged at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.
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