'It is always your strength that turns out to be your weakness as well.'
Andre Russell's all-round brilliance kept Kolkata Knight Riders in contention for a play-off berth as they recorded a comprehensive 54- run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a must-win IPL game.
'We always knew we would be under pressure if the conditions went around a bit.'
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and skipper Hanuma Vihari hit a fifty each to guide India A to 229 for 6 in reply to South Africa A's 268 all out at stumps on the second day of the third unofficial Test, in Bloemfontein, on Tuesday.
Led by a determined showing from their bowlers, SRH restricted CSK to a below par 154/7 in their 20 overs before Abhishek Sharma's fluent half-century helped them outclass the defending champions by eight wickets.
India, missing their top players, aim to punch above their weight and seal a memorable series victory against South Africa in the third and final ODI in New Delhi on Tuesday.
India opener KL Rahul made a leap of 18 slots, after his Player-of-the-Match effort that helped India defeat South Africa by 113 runs in the first Test, to reach No. 31 among batters in the latest ICC Test rankings.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test played between England and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway's effortless six-hitting exhibition was well complemented by a four-wicket haul from Mukesh Choudhary as Chennai Super Kings notched up an emphatic 13-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
Fast bowler Duanne Olivier has been recalled for South Africa's home Test series against India, a reward for excellent domestic form from a player who shot to prominence four years ago before taking up a Kolpak contract.
Umran Malik came up with one of the most bowling destructive spells in IPL history, but it was in vain as the Sunrisers Hyderabad went down to the Gujarat Titans by five wickets.
Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Virat Kohli's every move will be tracked, though some of that attention will now be on skipper K L Rahul.
This is the first time that Virat Kohli has fallen for golden ducks in successive matches in his IPL career.
Images from Day 2 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
Livingstone was picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 11.5 crore
Russell's eyes lit up immediately, much like a hungry tourist at a breakfast buffet, as he chomped through the deliveries, starting with two singles before finishing with three sixes off the final four deliveries.
India will be looking to round off their T20 World Cup preparation with a marked improvement in their death bowling besides providing crucial game time to its untested players in the three-match series against South Africa.
This was India's fourth win in the FIH Pro League.
India pacer Avesh Khan conceded he was under pressure after going wicket-less in the first three games, but head coach Rahul Dravid spurred him to come up with a match-winning performance in the fourth T20I against South Africa in Rajkot on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test played between South Africa and India at Centurion on Sunday.
It may be an inconsequential game on paper but Indian bowlers await another tough test against South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup when the two teams meet in the final game of the three-match series in Indore on Tuesday.
Their play-off hopes dashed, both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will be keen to end IPL 2022 on a winning note when the two teams clash in a dead rubber in Mumbai on Sunday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad need a complete, all-round performance against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL match on Monday to register their first win of the season.
Victorious India will seek more of the same when the second Test against South Africa starts at The Wanderers on Monday, but for the home side there is much to ponder as they try to level the series at a ground where they have never beaten the visitors.
With 10 points, KKR, however, are on the brink of elimination.
Andre Russell finished with 5/15 to record the best figures by a KKR bowler in IPL and also the best bowling figures by any bowler against Mumbai Indians.
Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar's timely strikes in the middle overs paved the way for Mumbai Indians' stunning come-from-behind victory against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL match in Chennai on Tuesday.
India will need another near perfect game to take the five-match series into the decider.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
While the batting looks in perfect shape, India's new-look pace department needs to come up with something special against the Proteas in Cuttack on Sunday.
Virat Kohli's talismanic presence will be the shot in the arm that India would need in their bid to win the historic first-ever away Test series against South Africa.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against South Africa, starting on January 3?
South Africa still need 211 runs on Thursday, the last day of the match, to win the first Test against India, with six wickets in hand.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the opening Test, played between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday.
Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj have been added to the squad as injury replacements but they do not figure in the World Cup-bound squad, as of now.
South Africa may have bowled India out for 223 in the first innings, but ace speedster Kagiso Rabada insisted that the home side's batters will have to dig deep to win the series-deciding third Test.
Harshal Patel became the first bowler in IPL history to bag a five wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians and guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a thrilling two wicket victory, off the last ball in the IPL 2021 opener in Chennai on Friday, April 9, 2021
Sarfaraz, Imad Wasim dropped from Pakistan white-ball squad vs Australia.
Rashid Khan says he has the self-belief to execute such performances after working on his batting in the last two years.
