South Africa will pin much of their batting hopes on a new opening pair in the third and final Test against Australia which starts on Thursday. Imraan Khan has been brought in for his debut and opens with the recalled Ashwell Prince, who normally operates in the middle-order. They come in for captain Graeme Smith (broken finger) and Neil McKenzie (dropped).
Rookie batsman Imraan Khan joined Hashim Amla as the second Indian-Origin player in the South African team which will be without regular skipper Graeme Smith in the third and final Test against Australia starting March 19 in Cape Town.
Graeme Smith hit a sprightly half-century as South Africa, bidding to complete the highest successful run chase in Tests, reached 178 for two after the fourth day of the first Test against Australia on Sunday.
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her business partner Raj Kundra on Tuesday bought a 12 per cent stake in the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural champions of the Twenty20 event.
Images from the fourth day's play in the second Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Images from the first day's play in the second Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Images from the Indian and South African teams' training sessions at the Eden Gardens on Friday.
Can Kallis and Amla carry on the fine showing on Day 2? India will need a couple of early wickets to restrict the South African total.
India Abroad's Bikash Mohapatra is at the ground posting live updates as they happen. Follow what's the latest from the Test on Bikash's MyPage!.
If you are passionate about the game you too can be part of the action by sharing your views on the battles in a blog. We will review your submission and, if appropriate, post it under your name on India's number one Web site. So get started. Talk, support your favourite team and player.
South African pacers blew away the top half before Abhishek Nayar (100) and Shikhar Dhawan (70) resuscitated Board President's XI with a 181-run seventh wicket stand on the opening day of the two-day practice match in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday said India has the resources to cope with the absence of Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and S Sreesanth and the potential to beat South Africa in the forthcoming Test series.
Peter Siddle took three wickets to give Australia the upperhand as South Africa were reduced to 198 for seven at stumps on day two of the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne on Saturday. Captain Graeme Smith scored a fine 62 but kept losing wickets at regular intervals in reply to Australia's first innings score of 394.
The continuing form slump coupled with Australia's overall decline may prompt opener Matthew Hayden to retire from cricket after the ongoing Test series against South Africa. Hayden, who has been woefully out of touch all through the season, may end his career after the third Test in Sydney.
Australia were 341 for 9 against South Africa at the end of first day's play in the first Test at Perth.
Statistical highlights of the fourth day's play in the first Test between India and England.
Ricky Ponting's over-rate woes after spin wizard Shane Warne's retirement have cost the Australian cricket team a hefty 130,000 dollars in fines so far.
Left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell claimed a maiden five-for to help South Africa score a comfortable five-wicket victory over New Zealand and revive their campaign in the Champions Trophy at the Centurion on Thursday
South Africa dismissed England for 231 on the first day of the third Test on Wednesday after further failures for captain Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood.
South Africa frustrated England's attempts to force a result on the final day of the first test at Lord's on Monday with more stubborn defence on a somnolent pitch to earn a draw. A rearguard action, which started on Saturday evening when South Africa followed on 346 runs in arrears, ended on Monday with the visitors 393 for three in their second innings.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn walked away with four major awards, including Cricketer of the Year, at Cricket South Africa's annual award ceremony. Steyn, who played for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League, won all four awards for which he was nominated. He was also named Test Cricketer of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and the SuperSport Fans' Cricketer of the Year at the ceremony in Johannesburg on Tuesday night.
Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 41 runs in the last league match of the Indian Premier League at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
Warne, Watson to play on Saturday Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi rubbished reports that Rajasthan Royals' skipper Shane Warne -- along with teammates Shane Watson and Graeme Smith is quitting the tournament due to the bomb blasts in Jaipur, saying the trio are already on their way to the Pink City to play the next match there.
Warne, Watson to play on Saturday Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi rubbished reports that Rajasthan Royals' skipper Shane Warne -- along with teammates Shane Watson and Graeme Smith is quitting the tournament due to the bomb blasts in Jaipur, saying the trio are already on their way to the Pink City to play the next match there.
Going by the recent track record, Australia and South Africa have pulled out of tours in the sub-continent due to terror threats.
Impressed with South Africa's performance in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup, former fast bowler Alan Donald has rated Graeme Smith's men as the favourites to clinch the title in second edition of the tournament.
Captain Shane Warne hit the fourth and fifth ball of the final over for two huge sixes to ensure Rajasthan Royals a three-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League match at Hyderabad on Thursday.
After putting up just 128 for 7, the Proteas restricted the Kiwis to 127 for 5.
Pepsi, who was all set to become the official sponsor of the upcoming India-New Zealand series may now lose the opportunity.
Cricket South Africa has instructed its players to return home after the India Test series to play the semi-finals and final of the Standard Bank Pro20 tournament before competing in the IPL.
Sachin Tendulkar held on to his second spot, while his one-day skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni occupies the 10th spot in the ICC One-Day Internationals rankings issued on Monday. The master batsman, who jumped to second spot after his scintillating performance in the tri-series in Australia last month, has 777 rating points, 15 behind South African captain Graeme Smith.
A prolific series in Bangladesh allowed South African captain Graeme Smith to dethrone Sachin Tendulkar from the top spot in the ICC one-day batting rankings. An aggregate of 199 runs for the left-hander not only won him the Player of the Series award but also earned him 39 ratings points which were enough for him to leapfrog Tendulkar as well as Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.
Captain Graeme Smith hit an unbeaten half century as South Africa beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third and final one-day international on Friday, to sweep the series 3-0.
Left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who took career-best figures of five for 33 in South Africa's innings victory over Bangladesh in the second Test, retained his place in the squad which has Ashwell Prince as Graeme Smith's deputy.
An unbeaten 62 off only 30 balls by the dashing all-rounder enabled Rajasthan Royals recover from a bad start and score a five-wicket victory in the Indian Premier League match in Centurion on Tuesday.
Here is a list of cricketers who are not offering value for money so far in the second season of the Indian Premier League. We must note, however, that a couple of good knocks or good spells can quickly change numbers.
Currently the number one ODI side, South Africa will hope to maintain status quo while Australia would be seeking a coup when the sides cross sword in the five-match ODI series starting in Durban later this week.
South Africa struggled to handle Australia's seam attack on a tricky Wanderers pitch, limping to 85 for three at the close of the second day of the first Test Friday.
Two into one doesn't go. That's what captains Graeme Smith of South Africa and Australia's Ricky Ponting must have realised as they posed with the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace on Tuesday. The two teams are vying for the number one ranking in Test cricket and the mace that goes with it but only one of them will walk away with that prize at the end of the three-match series that starts in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid is expecting next month's cricket World Cup to be an aggressive affair as he feels the revamped ODI rules will push teams into selecting attacking bowlers.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances