Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad hundreds help India set 359-run target in second ODI
South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening Test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
After bowling out SA A for 309, overnight 299/9, in the first session, India succumbed to their own waywardness, and the relentlessness of off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen (5/61), to concede an innings lead of 75.
Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
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.
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Goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo powered Manchester City to a muchneeded 20 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, lifting Pep Guardiola's men provisionally to within four points of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
Domestic veterans Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh could keep the team management interested going forward in Test cricket.
Abhishek Sharma shone with both bat and ball as Punjab hammered Puducherry by 54 runs in a Group C encounter of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy , in Hyderabad, on Thursday.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
'Of course, when you face a quality bowling attack, they can more often than not get the ball in the danger area and it does too much for you. And unfortunately, that's been the case today.'
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be playing an ODI World Cup final for the third time, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017 to Australia and England, respectively. This will be South Africa's maiden appearance in the final.
Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen made Indian finger spinners' look ordinary in good batting conditions with invaluable lower-order contributions as South Africa seized control of the second Test.
On a surface offering little assistance for bowlers, South Africa's top order had frittered away starts but number seven Muthusamy marshalled a lower-order surge with a composed 109.
South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad is backing his spin troika of Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer to match their seasoned counterparts from India and "make history of our own" in the upcoming Test series
IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to return to international duties in June when India host Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship finals (WTC) took a major hit as they slipped to the fifth spot in standings following their embarrassing 0-2 series whitewash to South Africa at home.
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Lungi Ngidi's call-up indicates that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the team's memorable win in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is still uncertain for the Guwahati Test
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Kane Williamson is unavailable for ODI selection due to his commitments in the SA20 league.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
'Mark had such a profound understanding of India, which was, of course, the land of his birth as well as of his death... He loved India, and lived two-thirds of his life here.'
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
South Africa's stunning three-day win over India at Eden Gardens has drawn reactions from some of cricket's biggest names, with AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn celebrating the historic result while Kevin Pietersen used the collapse-filled Test to launch a scathing critique of modern batting.
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.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
The last time two specialist keepers played together in a Test was in 1986, when Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit featured in the same XI, with Pandit playing as a batter.
Saim Ayub scored 77 from 70 balls as Pakistan eased to a seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final One-day International in Faisalabad on Saturday to clinch the series 2-1.
Gaikwad guides India A to four wicket win over South Africa A
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The South Africa bowling coach is also hopeful of off-spinner Simon Harmer, one of the heroes of the the visitors' memorable win in the first Test at Eden Gardens, playing in the final game of the short series while also ruling out any issue with his fitness.
South Africa's experienced pacer Kagiso Rabada said their young team are ready for the challenge.
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