This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
Pakistan completed a clean sweep of their One-day International series in South Africa with victory by 36 runs in the third and final clash at The Wanderers on Sunday.
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians sans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League campaign opener in Chennai on Sunday.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
Bavuma said his hamstring was 'feeling good' ahead of his return, and the South African skipper also confirmed he would bat at number three for the opening match of the three-game series behind openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
WTC-bound SA players to miss play-offs after BCCI asks teams to release them by May 26
At the mega auction, Mumbai Indians made some strategic buys, in a bid to build a strong team around their solid Indian core consisting of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday said star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was still recuperating from a back injury and that the team was waiting for him to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
South Africa have now won six successive Tests, starting with success in the West Indies in August and following it with two-Test series wins in Bangladesh and then home to Sri Lanka last month.
Proteas edge Pakistan to win thriller at Centurion
WTC Final-bound SA players likely to miss IPL playoffs
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
Rajasthan Royals will face Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League match on Thursday, looking to halt the five-time champions' surging momentum.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
It is also learnt that the physios at the BCCI Centre of Excellence has not set a specific time frame for him to return to action, even though Bumrah has been steadily increasing his workload at nets and match simulations.
South African captain Temba Bavuma has said that the ICC Champions Trophy is a bigger challenge than the 50-over World Cup because the lesser number of matches makes it tough for teams to make a comeback.
Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis produced fireworks with the bat as MI Cape Town defeated Pretoria Capitals by 27 runs to send their opponents out of SA20's play-offs race in Centurion.
The two pacers have played a crucial role in MI's winning run of six matches in a row, having picked up 17 wickets between them in the last three games.
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
The home side are chasing a modest target of 148 after bowling out Pakistan for 237 and if they win will be assured a place in the WTC final at Lord's.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya classified the no-balls that he and his fellow-bowlers sent down as a "crime" in the aftermath of the three-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans via the DLS method in a pulsating IPL encounter at the Wankhede stadium on Tuesday.
The team has won 10 out of their 24 matches while losing 14.
Mumbai Indians have the upper hand given their current form despite having lost to CSK in their IPL season-opener in Chepauk.
An in-form Mumbai Indians will be out for revenge having lost to Gujarat Titans earlier in the season.
Struggling Mumbai Indians will be hoping their batters get their act together and shoulder responsibility when they take on an inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League match in Mumbai on Monday.
Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, both struggling in the Indian Premier League, will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they face each other on Friday.
A rampaging Mumbai Indians will look to maintain their winning run in a vital mid-table battle against a dangerous Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday.
Having got off to a start so typical of themselves in the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians will hope for a quick turnaround when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Monday.
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
Pandya's inclusion obviously adds firepower to batting and he can also open the bowling if necessary.
MI will hope Jasprit Bumrah returns to his menacing best, which is essential for them to stop an explosive Sunrisers Hyderabad batting unit in its tracks.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets as a rampaging Mumbai Indians demolished Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs.
Hardik Pandya's maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket and star batter Suryakumar Yadav's fluent 67 went in vain as Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in an Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
LSG set MI 204 to win and the visitors fell short by 12 runs. Here are best bowlers of the night...
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