All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Wednesday.
India have extended their lead at the top of ICC Test rankings courtesy to second-placed Pakistan's defeat in the third and final Test against West Indies on Thursday. Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich struck unbeaten half-centuries to guide West Indies to a first Test victory in 14 matches as the Caribbean side beat Pakistan by five wickets in Sharjah.
The 3-0 series win against the West Indies could be called a precursor and the real battle begins now against Quinton de Kock's Proteas who are also in the midst of a tough transition.
For Africa's Test-playing nations, administrative turmoil has defined the dying days of the 2010s.
Kings XI Punjab will once again be facing a 'do-or-die' situation during their penultimate round encounter against table toppers Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, in Mumbai, on Thursday.
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is baffled by his team's batting failure, which has left the side struggling to stay alive in the Champions Trophy after two successive defeats.
South Africa routed Australia for 85 and then weathered a batting crisis of their own before pushing to a lead of 86 runs after a bowler-dominated opening day of the second Test in Hobart on Saturday.
Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.
Adaptability will be the key at the World Cup and England captain Eoin Morgan hailed his side's composure after they fought past South Africa on Thursday to open their home tournament in style.
Kings XI Punjab will look to go all guns blazing against down and out Gujarat Lions in Mohali.
A summary of the 2011 World Cup warm-up matches played on Monday.
Talented Indian batsman Virat Kohli jumped three places to joint second in the latest ICC ODI players' rankings issued on Monday.
Reaction to South African AB de Villiers smashing the fastest ever one-day century in 31 balls against the West Indies at The Wanderers on Sunday.
Insisting that Indian players have played on worse tracks back home, vice captain Ajinkya Rahane termed the Wanderers' pitch as 'challenging' and not dangerous.
Harbhajan Singh claimed two early wickets as South Africa reached 121 for five in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the series-deciding third Test against India in Cape Town.
South Africa retained the iconic Reliance ICC Test Championship mace and with it won a cash award of $500,000 following its 2-0 series win over the West Indies in Cape Town on Tuesday.
South Africa removed the West Indian openers in Sunday's last session at Newlands to build on AB de Villiers' superb century and take the initiative in the final Test.
India face a South Africa in their final World Twenty20 warm-up game in Mumbai, on Saturday.
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.
South Africa left out off-spinner Johan Botha, left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell and middle-order batsman JP Duminy from their Test line-up for the first match of the high-profile series against India, starting at Centurion on December 16. Captain Graeme Smith and key batsman Hashim Amla, who are both recovering from injuries, were expectedly named in the 12-man line-up.
After a week of action at the Cricket World Cup, with each team now playing at least one match, here's an analysis of how the main contenders are shaping up.
South Africa held their nerve to clinch a thrilling two-run victory over Pakistan in a chaotic and error strewn finish to the third one-day international at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Top India batsman Virat Kohli has maintained his second position in the latest ICC batsmen rankings while medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has moved up a place to be seventh in the bowlers' standings.
It is not just taste, chutneys can act as a detox agent and soothe your tummy too!
When Twinkle Khanna asked her celebrity friends what was in their dabba, everyone wrote in and sent their recipes as well. What does Katrina Kaif like to include in her dabba? She tells us here.
Harbhajan Singh whose played little cameo of 40 and then got two crucial wickets feels that Indians will have an edge going into the penultimate day of the match.
Harbhajan Singh claimed two wickets to help India end on a high against South Africa, on Day 3 of the third and final Test at Newlands, in Cape Town, on Tuesday.
Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag of India, Hashim Amla of South Africa and England's Graeme Swann have all been short-listed for the top honour at the LG ICC Awards 2010, it was announced on Monday.
India's winning streak of eight successive bilateral series is a new record for the Men in Blue.
Stokes now holds the record score for an England number six, beating Graham Hick's 187 against India in 1993, and became the first English centurion at Newlands for 50 years.
The Indian cricket team and its premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin held on to their numero uno status in the latest ICC Test rankings for teams and bowlers respectively.
Virat Kohli is the lone Indian batsman to be figuring in the top-10 in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.
Explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes and relentless run accumulator Steve Smith could not be more different in their approaches to the game but both roared back from personally adversity to bestride an extraordinary cricketing year. Virat Kohli and his men top the confused and confusing World Test Championship table with seven wins in as many matches, including their first pink-ball Test against Bangladesh last month. That victory marked their 12th consecutive Test series win at home.
It was an eighth ODI victory in a row for South Africa and an 11th win in succession at home as they showed form in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in England in June.
Michael Clarke remained unbeaten on 161, one of the more heroic of his 27 Test hundreds, as Australia reached 494 for seven before rain brought an early tea on the second day of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa on Sunday.
Dale Steyn became the second South African bowler to join the 400 club as his team took five wickets in the final session to reduce Bangladesh to 246 for eight on the first day of the second Test in Mirpur on Thursday.
Graeme Smith hints at international comeback after Proteas' India debacle.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that he was confident of an Indian victory after the team crossed the 250-run barrier.
India Abroad's Bikash Mohapatra is at the VCA stadium in Nagpur posting updates as they happen. Follow the latest on the Test on Bikash's MyPage!
Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with an impressive 120 as he single-handedly took South Africa to 269 for 8 in the first One-Day International against India, in Durban, on Thursday.
