Having regained his form with two unbeaten knocks in the league stage of the cricket World Cup, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gained two spots to be placed eight in the latest ICC batting rankings.
Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher, Daryl Cullinan, and Faf Du Plessis are the other Proteas batsmen who have more than 4000 runs in Test cricket.
India's bowlers, led by Ravichandran Ashwin, displayed outstanding perseverance to end South Africa's dogged resistance and register a comprehensive 337-run victory in the final Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, on Monday.
Drafted into the team for the first time in the ongoing cricket World Cup, Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed made an instant impact with a record-equalling six catches and 49 runs in the team's upset win over South Africa in Auckland.
Eighteen-year-old Surrey batsman Dominic Sibley was bowled out for 242 against Yorkshire on Friday after entering the record books as the youngest double centurion in English county cricket.
Struggling teams Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab take on each other in an Indian Premier League match in Mohali on Sunday as they desperately seek to get back to winning ways to stay in the hunt for a play-offs berth.
Right from the moment England captain Alastair Cook won the toss, his team did no wrong. The hosts humiliated South Africa as they handed them a crushing seven-wicket-defeat with 75 balls to spare in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy, in London, on Wednesday.
Uncapped spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were named in South Africa's squad for next month's three-match test series in Australia on Monday as the Proteas seek to exploit a perceived weaknesses in their hosts' batting. Faf du Plessis will again captain the team in the absence of injured AB de Villiers after leading the side in the two-test series against New Zealand last month, which they won 1-0. "Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful under Australian conditions and against the test batsmen we are likely to face," selector Linda Zondi said in a statement.
Rediff.com's Harish Kotian picks 5 players to look out for in this year's Champions Trophy.
Rediff.com's Harish Kotian picks 5 players to look out for in this year's Champions Trophy.
Du Plessis said it was a really a tough challenge for him to see through a smooth transition as the team lacks experience.
AB de Villiers took 31 balls to smash the fastest century in one-day internationals on Sunday as South Africa posted 439 for two wickets, their highest team total in this format, in the second ODI against West Indies at the Wanderers.
The first One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka witnessed important milestones being set and new records being made.
South Africa's fiery seamer Duanne Olivier took five wickets as the hosts powered into the ascendancy on day two of the third and final Test against an outgunned Pakistan at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen weathered a difficult 45 minutes to take South Africa to tea at 38 without loss chasing an unlikely victory target of 458 on the fourth day of the first Test against India at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir underlined why he is the world's top-ranked bowler in limited overs cricket as he bamboozled New Zealand's batsmen to help South Africa to a 78-run victory in their only Twenty20 match at Eden Park on Friday.
Dale Steyn will join a select group of bowlers to claim 400 wickets with the South African paceman requiring four scalps in the two-Test series against Bangladesh to reach the milestone.
India's winning streak of eight successive bilateral series is a new record for the Men in Blue.
Pakistan won a bilateral one-day international series against South Africa for the first time when they claimed a one-run victory in a thrilling finale in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.
The Proteas' performance in the recent series against Pakistan in Dubai augured well for the 2015 World Cup but their real test will be the upcoming home series against India, according to former captain Kepler Wessels.
Three wickets in as many balls sent Pakistan tumbling from cruise control to defeat by six runs in the second Twenty20 international against series winners South Africa in Dubai on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara gained a spot to be the highest-ranked Indian batsman at seventh even as R Ashwin remained steady eighth in the bowlers' list of the latest ICC Test rankings released on Sunday.
England opener Alex Hales fell one short of a second one-day International century as his team completed a comfortable five- wicket victory over South Africa on Saturday. The hosts won the toss in the second game of the series and posted 262 for seven in their 50 overs on a slow wicket that produced nothing like the run-fest of Bloemfontein three days earlier. Hales took England close to their target with a patient 99 from 124 balls as they reached 263 for five from 46.2 overs. - Scorecard The touring side now lead the five-match series 2-0 with the third game in Pretoria on Tuesday. AB de Villiers returned to form as he top-scored for South Africa's with 73 from 91 balls, supported by Faf du Plessis (46) and JP Duminy (47).
While Sri Lanka will be fancying their chances against a lowly South African side, the Proteas would be more than keen to make a statement against the 1996 winners.
Having made an impression with his efforts in the drawn warm-up match between Indian Board President's XI and South Africans, Mumbai medium pacer Shardul Thakur said he is confident of taking wickets anywhere except on rank turners.
The Men in Blue have never beaten the Proteas in a World Cup game.
South Africa, who have been hit by injuries to their pacers, finally have something to cheer about with Lungi Ngidi set to make a comeback in their next game against Afghanistan on June 15.
Yuzvendra Chahal bamboozled the batsmen with his leg spin as he grabbed four wickets for 51 runs, while fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with a wicket.
In a brutal incident, a young promising South African Indian intellectually-impaired cricketer has been beheaded in a ritual sacrifice, prompting police to start a probe and arrest three persons including his best friend in connection with the murder.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that he was confident of an Indian victory after the team crossed the 250-run barrier.
Faf du Plessis said, "Now we can trust the system a little bit more and just focus on playing cricket."
AB de Villiers returned to form with a brisk half-century which helped South Africa to complete a 62-run win and a 2-1 series victory over New Zealand on Wednesday.
South Africa have named six uncapped players in their 17-man squad for the first two Tests of the four-match series against England as new coach Mark Boucher seeks to revive the fortunes of the ailing side. Batsmen Pieter Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, fast bowlers Dane Paterson and Beuran Hendricks, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius and wicketkeeper Rudi Second will all hope to make their debuts in the first Test starting in Pretoria on December 26.
India have a chance to hold the Proteas by the scruff of their neck with the latter seemingly at their weakest following back-to-back defeats,
Six out of the 10 days in the entire series were thus lost to rain, questioning the logic behind scheduling the tour during monsoon season
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni single-handedly scripted Rising Pune Supergiants' face-saving four-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab with a last-ball six to help them avoid the bottom-place finish in the Indian Premier League in Visakhapatnam, on Saturday.
South Africa have recalled fit-again batsman AB de Villiers to captain their one-day international side in the five-match home series against Sri Lanka.
England captain Eoin Morgan's century led his team to an impressive series opening 72-run victory against top-ranked South Africa in their opening One-Day International at Headingley.
Firebrand fast bowler Kagiso Rabada bagged two wickets as South Africa reduced England to 52 for three at the close of day four of the final Test on Monday.
Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir took three wickets each as South Africa cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances