India's Shreyas Iyer scored a half-century and fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh took a combined five wickets as the home side beat Australia by six runs in the final Twenty20 International to deny the visitors a consolation win on Sunday.
Skipper K L Rahul blamed lack of wickets in the middle overs and a below-par show by the middle order batters for India's 31-run defeat to South Africa in the One-Day International series-opener, in Paarl, on Wednesday.
England were in command on 30/1 at tea after bowling West Indies out for 121 on the opening day of the first Test.
'Any time Smith and Stoinis are there there's a chance. They are both quality players and given the opportunity, they would have taken the match closer.'
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between South Africa and India, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
Put in to bat at the Providence stadium, India rode on skipper Yash Dhull's responsible 82 to post a fighting 232 all out and then bundled out the opposition for 187, with left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (5/28) and pacer Raj Bawa (4/47) doing bulk of the damage.
South Africa moved cautiously on to 214 for five in reply to England's 458 at the close on the second day of the first Test helped by a gritty performance from Temba Bavuma at Lord's in London on Friday.
South Africa African spinner Robin Peterson is optimistic that his side could force a result on the final day of the second Test and win the series against India at Kingsmead on Monday.
AB de Villiers survived being dropped early to smash a series-winning unbeaten 95 for South Africa who beat Pakistan by six wickets in the deciding match of their One-day international series on Sunday.
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Tuesday.
Sadeera Samarawickrama top-scored with an unbeaten 91 to power Sri Lanka to an easy five-wicket victory against the Netherlands.
India started well as opener Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 from 84 balls and former captain Virat Kohli 51 from 63, but when they were dismissed the touring side struggled to keep up with the required run-rate and finished on 265 for eight.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the third Test between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday
South Africa captain Dean Elgar admits he had to show some tough love to his players, which he believes was behind their turnaround in fortunes as they completed a seven-wicket victory over India at Newlands on Friday to claim the Test series 2-1.
New Zealand, who won the toss and chose to bat, lurched to 187-8 before bad light ended play three overs after tea.
South Africa beat Australia for the third game in a row when they won the second Twenty20 international by 17 runs on Sunday. Chasing 157 for victory on Sunday, Australia were derailed by off-spinner Johan Botha, who claimed two for 16 in four overs as the visitors crashed to 103 for five after 15 overs having been 63 for two at the halfway mark.
Naveen delivered the coup de grace in the penultimate over by bowling Taskin Ahmed and trapping Mustafizur Rahman in front off consecutive balls, triggering tearful celebrations from his team mates.
On the ropes at 43-4 early in their innings, Pakistan rallied behind spectacular half centuries from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan to post 185 for nine and delight the lively crowd of 30,000 roaring them on at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
From a near impossible win at the Gabba with a second-string side to walloping a hapless South Africa in their own backyard, 2021 can easily go down in the annals as 'one of the greatest in Indian cricket', opener KL Rahul said.
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.
India have now won an unprecedented eight matches in a row in the World Cup, but Rohit did not give in to hyperboles.
Defending champions England stormed their way to a crushing eight-wicket victory over the West Indies.
Images from Day 2 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
Mayank Agarwal believes discipline and application were the key elements to India's commanding score of 272 for 3 on Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa on Sunday.
IMAGES from the 4th T20I between India and South Africa played in Rajkot on Friday.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn't mince words when he categorically said that 'things could have been different' had Aiden Markram's catch been taken or a couple of close run-outs been effected in the team's five-wicket defeat against South Africa on Sunday.
Virender Sehwag scored a sparkling half-century as India ended Day 2 in the first Test on 82 without loss. Hashim Amla had earlier in the day scored a brilliant 159.
A look at how India have fared in their World Cup opening games.
India captain Rohit Sharma is happy that his team got to 'learn a lot' in their eight-wicket victory over South Africa in a low-scoring chase on a tricky pitch in the first T20 International.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant said the failure of the Indian bowlers to claim wickets in the middle overs proved vital in their seven-wicket defeat against South Africa in the second ODI in Paarl on Friday.
Sanju Samson made an unbeaten 86 in a losing cause in Lucknow.
Commanding wins in their two opening games have elevated South Africa as favourites in the World Cup but pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada insisted there is still a long way to go and the team is focused on taking one match at a time.
'You want a certain type of wicket when you play at home and when you don't get it you still have to perform. The guys have worked hard, they have toiled a little bit when they have had to'
A hapless Indian bowling attack was smashed all over the park by South African batsmen in the fifth and final ODI, which the home side lost by 214 runs, but captain MS Dhoni defended them, saying that the Wankhede wicket was "too true" to offer any assistance to them.
'Very pleasing. Most importantly the win, cricket has turned to baseball isn't it? We're delighted with the two points.'
IMAGES from Day 4 of the opening Test between South Africa and India, in Centurion, on Wednesday.
Images from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and England in Port Elizabeth on Sunday
IMAGES from the opening T20I played between India and South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test played between South Africa and India at Centurion on Sunday.
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