"It was tough up front, the Sri Lanka bowlers didn't give us much to work with," Markram told reporters.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers calmly guided his side to a tense four-wicket victory over New Zealand with one ball to spare in a rain-affected first one-day international in Hamilton on Sunday.
It is understood that right after India's abject surrender against South Africa in the two-Test series at home last month, someone who matters in the cricket board had once again informally approached VVS Laxman to check if he would be interested in coaching the red ball team.
Images from Day 1 in the fourth Test between India and South Africa, at New Delhi, on Thursday.
South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets to keep themselves in the hunt for a berth in semis of the Twenty20 World Cup.
The former England captain said that both sides must address the fragility in their batting orders, with England too dependent on captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root and the hosts relying on Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers.
South Africa resorted to dogged stonewalling in their pursuit of an improbable 481-run victory target after Ajinkya Rahane stroked his second century of the match to tighten India's grip on the fourth and final Test on Sunday.
Australia's Glenn Maxwell produced an unbeaten half-century in a tense chase to help the hosts edge out South Africa by two wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International and complete a 2-1 series victory in Cairns on Saturday.
South Africa will seek to arrest a dismal Durban run of four straight defeats at Kingsmead when they host India in the second and final Test on Thursday, four days after their epic draw in Johannesburg.
Chasing 145, the visitors were briefly rattled at 22/2 before Hermann and Van der Dussen stitched together a game-defining 106-run stand.
Opening batsman David Warner made his first one-day international (ODI) century outside Australia to set his team on their way to a 36-run victory over South Africa in the fourth match of a triangular ODI series.
South Africa crushed Kenya by 159 runs on Friday in the first one-day international in Bloemfontein. JP Duminy's knock of 90, Jacques Kallis's 71 and Mark Boucher's 30-ball 57 not out led the hosts to 336 for seven after they won the toss.
Aaron Finch delivered a verdict in favour of his side as they prepare to take on a Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli-powered India during a three-match ODI series at home
Seventeen-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso on Wednesday earned her maiden call-up to South Africa's 15-member squad for the women's ODI World Cup starting later this month in India and Sri Lanka.
The teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur described her team's narrow four-run defeat to England as 'heartbreaking'
South Africa's Faf du Plessis smashed a career-best 185 off 141 balls as the hosts beat Sri Lanka by 40 runs after surviving a fierce onslaught in a high-scoring fourth one-day international to take a 4-0 series lead on Tuesday.
India and Pakistan have managed to "break the ice" on the Asia Cup trophy dispute and will work towards finding a plausible solution in the coming days, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said.
The Men in Blue won the first T20I at Johannesburg by 28 runs and a victory on Wednesday will see them wrap up another series win on this tour.
India batter Tilak Varma on Saturday underlined the team management's push for a flexible batting order, saying most players are ready to bat anywhere depending on match situations.
South Africa's dramatic 231-run victory over Australia in the second Test set up an enticing decider at Newlands which could see the hosts seal a first home series win over the tourists in 44 years.
Meanwhile, Egypt and South Africa also took significant steps towards following the Atlas Lions, moving closer to featuring in the marquee event, which will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
World Cup holders India and South Africa will clash in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, 50-over contest, at Cardiff in Wales on June 6, 2013, tournament hosts the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.
The margin of victory was big enough to be called dominant but South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said he was quite nervous about defending 208 against India in the opening Test.
Outwitted in both the T20 and the ODI series, India will seek redemption in the Test format by trying to spin a web around the formidable South Africans in the four-match series starting in Mohali, on Thursday.
This will be the maiden Test in Guwahati, which often hosts white-ball matches, and has also been hosting IPL matches for the last two seasons.
Favourites India maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament and eked out a fighting 2-1 win over a spirited South Africa in their final Pool D match to book a place in the quarterfinals of the men's Junior Hockey World Cup at the Major Dhyan Astroturf stadium in New Delhi on Monday. India scored both their goals from field efforts through skipper Harjeet Singh (11th minute) and Mandeep Singh (55th), while Kyle Lion-Cachet (28th) found the net for the Africans. India, thus, finished the pool engagements with possible nine points from three wins and will now face second placed team in Pool C, Spain in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
'A lovely evening at Joburg. The Consulate General of India, Johannesburg hosted #TeamIndia for dinner yesterday ahead of the fourth T20I.'
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town on Sunday
Finn Allen has been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a foot injury while representing the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket in the United States.
Australia's Annabel Sutherland becomes only 2nd ODI cricketer to achieve unique birthday feat
Defending champions India have unveiled a well-rounded 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Dale Steyn is set to play his first Twenty20 International since March 2019
Bengal will be bolstered by the return of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami who has who has been out of India contention since the Champions Trophy.
Promising that India will not back down from their "aggressive brand of cricket", team director Ravi Shastri feels consistency and patience would be key to success as the hosts gear up to face South Africa next month.
It was also his third hundred in the last seven innings after going past three digits against Australia A at Lucknow and the West Indies at Ahmedabad.
Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile took four wickets to fire Australia to a 32-run victory over South Africa in the first one-day international in Perth on Friday.
Jitesh Sharma, who has emerged as India's preferred wicketkeeper-batter in T20 format with less than two months left for the World Cup, has played down his 'competition' with Sanju Samson in the squad, saying it only brings out his "A-game" to the fore, strengthening the side.
Darren Bravo scored an enterprising century as West Indies rallied from a poor start to reach the final of the triangular one-day international series with a commanding 100-run victory over South Africa in Barbados on Friday.
Conrad conceded that South Africa were a "batter light" but explained that if the players they have were willing to play with a little more self-confidence, it could work in Proteas' favour.
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