With South Africa's seam attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen and Australia having Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and the ever-dependable Josh Hazlewood in their lineup, the battle between the two sides' fast bowlers is likely to be critical in determining the outcome of the World Test Championship final, as per ICC website.
South Africa go into the five-day clash at Lord's, which starts on Wednesday, as underdogs but Conrad struck an optimistic tone at a press conference on Monday.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between South Africa and India, at SuperSports Park, Centurion, on Thursday.
A recap of the action of the third week of IPL 2026.
Rizvi, Nair power DC to six-wicket win over Punjab Kings
Delhi Capitals will be desperate to arrest their slump and stay in contention for a play-off berth when they take on high-flying Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL match in Dharamsala on Thursday.
The depth of fast bowlers at South Africa's disposal was no better evidenced than on Thursday as Corbin Bosch and Dale Paterson took nine of the 10 wickets to dismiss Pakistan for 211 on the opening day of the first Test at Centurion.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
The first Test starts at Lord's on Wednesday.
Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh revealed that the team collectively 'manifested' a top-two finish after the mini-auction.
South Africa picked an experienced 15-man squad for next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan with 10 players having competed at the last World Cup in India in late 2023.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
South Africa have rested batter Temba Bavuma for their home white-ball series against India this month after a poor Cricket World Cup, but he will captain the team in the two-Test series which starts on Dec. 26.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
'You saw Yashasvi Jaiswal start in the second innings, did you see the first three balls, the kind of shots that he attempted?'
Heinrich Klaasen will captain South Africa in three Twenty20 matches against Pakistan next week.
Pathan mentioned that the Hyderabad-based franchise needs a proper spinner who can take wickets.
Gibbs said leadership develops with time, and Gill possesses the composure to grow into the role.
Captain Shreyas Iyer is pleased that Punjab Kings displayed the right mindset after being put under the pump by aggressive Rajasthan Royals top-order batters.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
VIn a dramatic turn of events on Day 3, India faced a resounding defeat against South Africa in the first Test as their batting lineup crumbled, managing only 131 runs in the second innings after the hosts posted a formidable 408 in their initial essay.
'We didn't bat well in both innings, that's why we stand here.'
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his maiden ODI hundred to power India to a 2-1 series win after they thrashed against South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final ODI.
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
Aiden Markram and Co took in the sights and sounds of New York.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis feels that losing four wickets for 20 runs in the first four overs became his team's undoing.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru carried off from last season with dominating performances in their opening two games of IPL 2026.
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
Jofra Archer, after disappointing outings in the first two matches, bowled with great pace and accuracy and put the opposition on the back foot right from the word go.
Durban's Super Giants pip Pretoria Capitals
Proteas edge Pakistan to win thriller at Centurion
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar praised Nehal Wadhera for his tremendous batting performance and explained how the 24-year-old, who scored an unbeaten 33 off 19 ball, including three fours and as many sixes, has grown over the years.
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul perished early as India fumbled in the chase of a mammoth 549-run target on Day 4 of the second Test.
