The Proteas had kept the decision on playing Rabada open until Friday morning.
Throughout the Test series, Indian batters struggled against a strong South African bowling attack. Indian batters averaged just 15.23 across the two-match Test series against South Africa.
India opener Shafali Verma's match-winning performance with the bat in the Women's World Cup final against South Africa last month has earned her the ICC 'Player of the Month' award for November.
Hardik Pandya poised for double milestone in South Africa series
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
Virat surpasses Tendulkar for most centuries in a single format, extends golden run in Ranchi
In a night that will be etched in Indian cricket history, Rohit Sharma fought back tears as the women in blue conquered the world in front of a packed Navi Mumbai crowd on Sunday.
'India will have to use him carefully. If they want him to bowl three overs early, then Arshdeep Singh has to partner Bumrah in the death overs.'
Bavuma believes this group, unbeaten in full-strength Test series since coach Shukri Conrad took charge in 2023, has the maturity and belief to mount a serious challenge and win their only second series in India after 25 years.
Now in 16 ODIs against South Africa, the spinner has taken 36 wickets at an average of 17.58, with a strike rate of 21.3 and an economy rate of 4.95.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma deserve to be treated differently for their body of work over the years and their place in the ODI side should have never been a topic of debate, reckons ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma downplayed Shukri Conrad's controversial remarks that he wanted India to "really grovel".
Hardik Pandya marked his return to the Indian team from a two-month injury layoff with a match-winning half-century.
Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the Indian squad for the last two T20I against Australia.
"For anyone questioning him, he lets his bat do the talking": Virat Kohli's childhood coach
Virat's streak of happiness: Indian batting legend continues scorching run against SA, achieves 11th instance of a remarkable feat
In the chase, India lost Shubman Gill for a golden duck, while Marco Jansen got rid of Abhishek Sharma and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, before Baartman broke the 35-run stand between Axar Patel and Varma.
Despite this, Bangladesh's inconsistent top order remains a significant concern. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, who also performs wicketkeeping duties, has struggled for runs, averaging just nine in the tournament.
India will be bolstered by the return of former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - both of whom have retired from Test cricket - adding more depth and experience to the side.
The fourth T20I between India and South Africa was called off on Wednesday owing to poor visibility after a dense layer of smog engulfed the Ekana Stadium raising serious questions about BCCI's scheduling of matches in northern part of India during peak winter month.
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.
With the scars of last year's home series whitewash against New Zealand still raw, preparing rank turners may invite risk.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
This is the first time in nearly seven decades that India have suffered two successive series whitewashes at home.
Namibia pulled off a shock four-wicket win over South Africa in a one-off Twenty20 international on Saturday that marked the opening of the new cricket stadium in Windhoek.
'The will to work and commitment to put in work is as high as it has ever been.'
Noman collected a 10-wicket haul during Pakistan's 93-run triumph over South Africa in Lahore recently and moved up four places.
Gautam Gambhir's penchant for shuffling cricketers has often come under sharp scrutiny, but the head coach insisted that "batting order is overrated" in white ball cricket, strongly hinting of him sticking to his trusted ways.
'Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket-taking option was if you bowl at the stumps...'
Nitish Reddy released from India squad for India A one day series
South Africa's Aiden Markram created a new world record for the most catches by a fielder in a Test match, during the second Test against India in Guwahati on Wednesday.
A toe injury suffered before the fourth T20I is set to keep Gill out of the final T20I here as India would want to take a cautious route, more so when there is a ready replacement for the top order slot in Sanju Samson.
On paper, Pakistan are no match for South Africa even though Fatima Sana's team did win an ODI in the bilateral series that served as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.
Virat Kohli confirms his availability for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
'We have been talking about this for many years -- we have been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament, without that, we couldn't talk about change.'
Veteran allrounder Marizanne Kapp excelled with both bat and ball, while skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus also smashed fine half-centuries as South Africa defeated Pakistan by 150 runs (DLS Method) in a rain-affected Women's World Cup match to go top of the table, in Colombo, on Tuesday.
