South Africa held a 411-run lead over Pakistan at the close of the second day of the first test at the Wanderers on Saturday with seven second innings wickets still in hand after dismissing the visitors for their lowest test score of 49.
Pakistan claimed six wickets in the final session to bowl South Africa out for 253 on the opening day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Friday.
Graeme Smith will become the first cricketer to captain 100 Tests when he leads South Africa out against Pakistan on Friday, his 32nd birthday.
England would have been happier with five or six wickets by stumps, said off-spinner Graeme Swann, adding destructive opener Virender Sehwag took the game away from his side with his blistering run-a-ball 117 on the opening day of the first Test.
South African skipper Graeme Smith is all set to become the first cricket player to captain a team in 100 Tests when he will lead the side out against Pakistan on Friday at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg.
A six from Ryan McLaren off the final delivery and a rapid 116 by Graeme Smith helped South Africa to a thrilling one-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third one-day international on Friday.
South Africa completed a 2-0 series win over New Zealand on Monday after thumping the visitors by an innings and 193 runs on the fourth day of the second Test.
For sheer quirkiness, few sport events can beat the cricket festival on the frozen lake at the Swiss resort of St Moritz.
England fast bowler James Anderson said he felt a huge sense of relief after claiming his 300th Test wicket in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Friday. The 30-year-old had New Zealand opener Peter Fulton caught at second slip by Graeme Swann to become only the fourth Englishman to reach the milestone.
In an attempt to save his international career, embattled England cricketer Kevin Pietersen is expected to travel the length and breadth of the country to personally meet his team-mates and tender his apology to them.
Piyush Chawla, who took four for 69 in England's first innings feels India can stage a comeback in the fourth Test if Virat Kohli (11) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (8) bat sensibly in the first session on Day 3.
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.
# Jean-Paul Duminy has recorded 27 sixes, eclipsing Graeme Smith's tally of 26. Only Albie Morkel has more sixes (33) than Duminy for South Africa in T20s.
England were 509 for 6 in their first essay, a lead of 193 runs, at close on Day 3 of the third Test.
In reply to India's first innings score of 316, England cruised to 216 for one at close on the second day to take firm control of the third Test match.
Graeme McDowell continued his love affair with California by winning for the first time in two years when he held off playing partner Keegan Bradley to clinch the World Challenge by three shots on Sunday.
Virat Kohli made history with his first double century to become the first captain from India to compile a Test double century overseas when he pulled a single to deep mid-wicket just before the lunch break, on Day 2 of the 1st Test, in North Sound in Antigua.
South Africa, fired by a devastating spell of bowling from Dale Steyn and sustained by the batting of Hashim Amla, took a firm grip on the third and final Test against Australia on Saturday to end day two with an imposing lead of 292.
Graeme Smith is comfortable with television referrals and the umpire decision review system (DRS) playing a larger role in international cricket, the South Africa captain said on Wednesday.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed five wickets as Sri Lanka took control of the second and final test against Zimbabwe on day three on Tuesday. The touring side reached the close on 102 for four in their second innings, a lead of 334 runs, after Herath, who opened the bowling, bagged his 27th test five-wicket haul with figures of 5-89. Dimuth Karunaratne (54 not out) and Asela Gunaratne (six not out), who scored a maiden test century in the first innings, will resume on Wednesday as Sri Lanka seek to set a massive target after bowling Zimbabwe out for 272. Seamer Carl Mumba (3-31) was the pick of the home bowlers supported by leg-spinner Graeme Cremer (1-21).
Zimbabwe lost two early wickets but recovered to finish 126 for two at the close on the second day of the second Test on Monday in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 504. Brian Chari and Craig Ervine were both 60 not out as Zimbabwe fought back after a poor start when they slumped to 17 for two but the hosts still trail by 378 runs. Sri Lanka, who won a closely contested first Test last week, went from 290 for five overnight to being dismissed just before tea with Asela Gunaratne completing a maiden test century.
Anderson revealed this in his new book, 'Bowl. Sleep. Repeat.'
A fired-up Australia attack skittled South Africa's top order late on the fourth day to march to the brink of victory in the second Test on Sunday. Set a mammoth target of 430 for victory, the tourists' chase began disastrously, captain Graeme Smith out for a duck with the sixth ball of the innings and three more wickets tumbling quickly in the afternoon heat at Adelaide Oval.
So, how did the foreign press react to first day's play at the Motera? Rediff.com brings you a summary of what the English Press felt.
England off spinner Graeme Swann has went passed the tally of Test victims captured by legendary Jim Laker, and has now set his eyes on breaking Laker's record of claiming 19 wickets in a Test match.
England's Jonathan Trott displayed a distinct lack of sportsman spirit when he persisted with his appeal for a catch despite dropping the ball during the first day of the opening Test against India in Ahmedabad.
England skipper Alastair Cook could have been in a tricky situation while going out for the toss for the first Test in Ahmedabad as he forgot to bring his team blazer and somebody had to rush it from home, if off-spinner Graeme Swann is to be believed.
Off spinner Graeme Swann has conceded England batsmen must play spin better than they did against Sri Lanka and Pakistan if they want to win the Test series against India at their home turf.
Hashim Amla was approaching his third century in his last four tests as South Africa defused Australia's pace attack and reached a dominant 255 for two at the end of the opening day of the first Test at the Gabba on Friday.
Bowlers Steven Finn and Stuart Broad were left out of England's final warm-up match on Thursday as the pace duo race against time to be fit for the first test against India starting on November 15.
South Africa dethroned England as the top team in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table following its 2-0 victory over Andrew Strauss' men in the three-match series which ended at Lord's Cricket Ground on Monday.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann is returning home from India to spend time with his sick daughter, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday.
South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith has signed a three-year contract with Surrey to captain the English county.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis lauded his "relentless" bowlers for their match-winning performance against Australia in Hobart on Tuesday and dedicated the series win to absent Proteas Dale Steyn and AB De Villiers.
Skipper Graeme Smith thinks South Africa's Test series win in Australia four years ago was a key step on their rise to the number one ranking and another good showing over the next month could be just as important.
Graeme Swann might be carrying huge burden of expectations on his shoulders during England's tour of India but the off-spinner has warned that his bowling will not be the lone decisive factor in his team's attempts to improve on its just one Test win in the country since 1985.
England and South Africa drew the second Test on Monday after some late drama that offered each team an unlikely sniff of victory on the fifth and final day at Headingley.
England failed to make a breakthrough when rain stopped play before tea on the fourth day of the second Test at Headingley on Sunday as South Africa reached 39 without loss in their second innings.
Run machine Virat Kohli is the second fastest to 25 Test centuries after Australian great Don Bradman.
London 2012 officials have defended the preparation of the Olympic hockey pitch after one of Australia's players picked up an injury on the artificial blue surface that ruled him out of the Games.
