South Africa seamer Dale Steyn grabbed his first Test wicket after an injury absence of 14 months as the hosts fought back against a fired-up India on an enthralling first day of cut-and-thrust cricket in the opening Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.
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.
South Africa have named an unchanged squad for the remaining two Tests against England as AB de Villiers prepares to lead the five-day team for the first time in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Batsman AB de Villiers will return to the role of wicketkeeper for South Africa in the opening two Tests of their four-match home series against England starting in Durban on Boxing Day.
Skipper Virat Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump was again exposed as India plunged into deep trouble at 28 for three, after their bowlers dismissed South Africa for a modest 286, on the opening day of the first Test in Cape Town on Friday.
Smith could emerge as the figure the embattled team looks up to for a revival in its fortunes.
Philander's partnership with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel has earned the trio the label as the most-balanced and penetrating attack in world cricket.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens to begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) defense on an emphatic note.
The post-match media conference by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got disrupted for the second time in three years at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium, in Rajkot, on Sunday, because of laser show and bursting of crackers by the organisers.
JP Duminy has been named in the South African Twenty20 squad for the three-match home series against West Indies next month, but a number of other top players will again be rested.
Handicapped by the absence of key strike bowler Dale Steyn, South Africa will need to dig deep into their reserves if they are to beat England in the third Test and bring parity to the series.
Ben Stokes struck a sparkling unbeaten 74 to help England finish the opening day of the second Test against South Africa on a healthy 317 for five at Newlands on Saturday.
Dane Piedt produced the best performance by a debutant South African spinner as the Proteas thumped Zimbabwe by nine wickets to retain their number one status following the one-off conTest at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Hashim Amla's blistering stroke-play and Morne Morkel's fearsome bowling put South Africa in control of the second Test against Australia as they closed the third day on 192 for four on Saturday.
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has picked Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar as the toughest bowler he has faced in his illustrious international career.
England debutant Toby Roland-Jones wreaked havoc as he picked four wickets to have South Africa reeling at 126 for 8 at stumps on Day 2 of the third Test at the Oval on Friday.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look to return to winning ways.
'I don't regret missing out on the century but on losing after setting a good target'
South Africa skipper AB de Villiers led from the front with an all-round show to help South Africa thrash minnows UAE.
South Africa have added fast bowler Marchant de Lange to their squad for the final two Test matches in India as concerns remain over the fitness of attack spearhead Dale Steyn.
'This is an experienced side and we know what is expected of our team.' 'When it comes to preparation, all of us are ready.'
A resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad have been on a slow but sure climb but it is defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders who hold a psychological edge when the teams face-off in their Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
SunRisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs (via Duckworth/Lewis method) in their rain-curtailed Indian Premier League match in Visakhapatnam.
Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ran through the Bangladesh batting order to lead South Africa to an emphatic 333-run victory in the first test as the visitors capitulated meekly on the final morning on Monday.
South Africa have included the world's number one test bowler Vernon Philander in their preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 tournament to be played in Bangladesh in March and April next year.
South Africa's Temba Bavuma was left stranded on 95 not out as they tightened their grip over scandal-hit Australia after reducing the hapless visitors to 110 for six at the close on the second day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.
David Warner thumped a run-a-ball century as Australia dominated the opening day of the third and final Test against South Africa, piling up 331 for three at Newlands on Saturday.
Eight teams have formed some of the best combinations from a pool of 64 top cricketers in the players' draft for T10League -- the limited ten-over format cricket -- that will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
South Africa made an early breakthrough with the wicket of West Indian Leon Johnson when play got underway on a rain-delayed fourth day of the third and final Test at Newlands on Monday.
Women cricketers Sara McGlashan and Sarah Taylor were also handed the honour.
South African skipper A B de Villiers blamed 'unforced errors' and 'miscommunication in the heat of the battle' for the 26-run loss to India in their Champions Trophy in Cardiff.
South African speedster Dale Steyn, who has been marred by a string of injuries (groin and shoulder), will be returning to competitive cricket in a club game in Cape Town. Steyn will play for Western Province Cricket Club against St Augustine in his bid to prove his fitness for next month's three T20s against Australia ahead the much-important World T20 in India. Steyn, who missed out owing to a groin injury during the tour to India injured his shoulder in the first Test against England and has been out of competitive cricket since close to two months. Despite his injury, the 32-year-old was included in the squad South Africa keeping a replacement ready if he failed to make it. Proteas T20 skipper Faf du Plessis said, "Steyn looks fully fit but a call could only be taken on whether he will travel to the tournament if he gets through the matches against Australia."
Williamson had moved to 148 at stumps with Mitchell Santner on 13, the home side holding a seven run lead over South Africa's first innings of 314.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has advised Rohit Sharma to get back to Ranji Trophy to regain form in the longest format after failing in the ongoing series against South Africa.
Opener Kusal Perera stroked a fluent half-century before Sri Lanka's bowlers produced a brilliant display in the death overs to help their team pull off a thrilling five-run victory against South Africa.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be eager to break the sequence of reverses and get Rising Pune Supergiants' campaign back on track when they lock horns with in-form Kolkata Knight Riders.
South Africa will head to India armed with three frontline slow bowlers in their Test squad after recalling leg-spinner Imran Tahir and off-break bowler Dane Piedt for the four-match series starting in November.
South Africa lost both openers but were still 230 runs ahead of Bangladesh at the close on the third day of the first Test when bad light stopped play on Saturday.
Check out the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2014.
Virat Kohli is the lone Indian batsman to be figuring in the top-10 in the ICC Test batsmen rankings.
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