Bavuma tried to put up a brave face when he said that this South African team is not here to make up numbers but compete hard.
Mayank Agarwal notched up his second hundred in as many Tests and combined with Cheteshwar Pujara to set up a platform for India to post a big first-innings total against South Africa in the second Test.
India's long winning streak in Test cricket is under threat in a quick-fire three match series against South Africa this month, where their status as the top ranked nation in the format faces a stiff examination.
South Africa's most experienced spinner Keshav Maharaj wants to be as consistent as the seasoned Indian duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin during the upcoming three-Test series.
The Pretoria wicket is likely to be similar, with perhaps not the same sideways movement of Newlands, and will provide another test of the Indian batsmen's bravery against a seam bowling barrage.
Seamer Duanne Olivier completed an 11-wicket match haul as South Africa roared back into contention in the first Test
Dismissing reports of interference in team selection ahead of South Africa's World Cup semi-final against New Zealand as 'utter nonsense.'
While South Africa grabbed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, the visitors squandered a golden opportunity to script a memorable win outside the sub-continent.
Vernon Philander's brilliant all-round show played a major role in South Africa's recovery against India on the second day of the first Test.
The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
New Zealand completed their World Cup preparations with a 134-run victory over South Africa on Wednesday.
South Africa are to gamble on the fitness of Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy, who were named on Wednesday in a 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month.
Opener Stephen Cook scored a career-high century to help South Africa build a massive 432-run lead over Sri Lanka despite rain delays on the third day of the first Test at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth.
Dean Elgar scored an unbeaten century but an excellent spell of bowling from Australia seamer Pat Cummins restricted South Africa to 266 for eight at the close of play on the opening day of the third Test at Newlands on Thursday.
The 28-year-old Starc finished with a match haul of nine for 109, enabling him to overtake South Africa's new-ball bowlers Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander among others, eclipsing his previous best sixth position that he enjoyed in December 2016.
Buttler was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point after swearing repeatedly at South Africa all-rounder Vernon Philander
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Test played at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.
South Africa slid to 105 for six on the third day of the second and final test against New Zealand on Monday but were still firmly in command at Centurion, holding a 372-run lead. After bowling the Kiwis out for 214, the hosts did not enforce the follow-on as the pitch is getting more and more difficult for the batsmen. New Zealand's bowlers took six wickets in the last session of the day with only stand-in opener Quinton de Kock (50) offering any resistance as Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, captain Faf du Plessis and Stiaan van Zyl went cheaply.
Debutant Lungi Ngidi took six wickets as South Africa defeated India by 135 runs for victory in the second Test in Pretoria on Wednesday and also claim the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest.
An unbeaten century from opener Martin Guptill eased New Zealand to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over South Africa in the second One-Day International at Senwes Park on Sunday.
Cricket will venture into new territory when South Africa tackle Zimbabwe in the first official four-day Test match to be played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth starting on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Steyn, currently on a short-term contract with Hampshire having been plagued by injury over the last two-and-a-half years, is three wickets short of a milestone that has frustratingly eluded him in recent times.
Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson has reportedly got his popular handlebar moustache shaved off by wife Jessica.
South Africa were 224 for six at the close of play in a chilly Dunedin with a lead of 191 runs entering the final day on a pitch that is turning but offering little assistance for the pace bowlers and is proving difficult to score from.
Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock struck commanding hundreds to author South Africa's spectacular fightback before Ravichandran Ashwin wrested back India's control with a five-wicket haul on the third day of the opening Test.
Dale Steyn is all set to go out all guns blazing in Melbourne, when South Africa takes on India in World Cup Pool B match.
Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada claimed four wickets each as South Africa ripped out Sri Lanka for 110 on the second day of the second Test.
Dhananjaya de Silva enhanced his rapidly-growing reputation with an unbeaten 43 as he kept South Africa's strike bowlers at bay to see Sri Lanka to 181 for seven in their first innings at the end of the second day of the first Test on Tuesday. The 25-year-old, who hit a six with his first scoring shot when he made his Test debut against Australia in July, brought Sri Lanka within 105 runs of South Africa's first innings total of 286 before bad light stopped play for the day.
There will still be plenty of needle in the third Test between South Africa and Australia whether or not Kagiso Rabada wins his appeal against suspension, opener Dean Elgar said on Monday.
South Africa have named uncapped batsman Theunis de Bruyn in their injury-hit squad for the three-match home Test series against Sri Lanka that starts on December 26.
Kagiso Rabada regained his top spot among bowlers crossing the coveted 900-point mark in ratings even as Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin climbed up a couple of notches to be placed fourth in the ICC Test Player Rankings, released on Tuesday.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on Thursday.
The countries will pin their hopes of victory on their quicks with seamer friendly wickets on order for the Tests in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the contests set to be dominated by fiery exchanges of fast bowling.
India captain Virat Kohli on Monday lost his number one position in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen, dropping to second after a forgettable performance in the second Test against England.
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin slipped a place to take the third position in the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers in Dubai on Thursday.
South Africa lost four wickets in the final session of a fluctuating first day of the second Test against England at Trent Bridge on Friday but finished with a defiant flourish to end on 309 for six.
Indian cricket team stands a chance of making big gains in terms of International Cricket Council (ICC) Test ranking if they manage to register a 3-1 victory over Australia in their ongoing four-match series.
England continued to hold the upper hand in the first Test against South Africa by taking a first innings lead of 97 and extending it to 216 by the close on the third day at Lord's on Saturday with nine wickets in hand.
South African speedster Dale Steyn will miss the fourth and final test against India with a lingering groin injury that has limited his participation in the four-match series to a solitary contest in the series-opener in Mohali.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took three wickets as South Africa bowled India out for 187 to take the opening day honours on a seaming wicket in the third and final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
