India dropped two points but managed to retain their second position in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
South African speedster Dale Steyn will miss the fourth and final test against India with a lingering groin injury that has limited his participation in the four-match series to a solitary contest in the series-opener in Mohali.
South Africa will need their bowlers to step up to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
'We are at this stage where we have lost almost all of our experience'
Umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar began discussion and soon match referee Andy Pycroft joined them on the ground. They initiated deliberations with both the captains, players were called off the ground and play never resumed after that.
Here are different scenarios depending on how the series pans out
'This was not the cleanest game of cricket you've ever seen -- there were too many flubs and fumbles for that. But it was certainly the semi-final this mostly blah tournament has needed -- two tough, well-rounded teams, toe to toe, slugging it out, bleeding and drawing blood until there was only one left standing.'
Away from the 50-over format for a while, India were placed third while mainstay Virat Kohli held the second position in the batting chart in the latest ICC ODI rankings released in Dubai on Friday. India were positioned third with 110 points behind Australia (124) and New Zealand (113). With 813 points in his kitty, Kohli was only behind South African talisman AB de Villiers and a place ahead of another experienced Protea Hashim Amla in the batting list.
Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with an impressive 120 as he single-handedly took South Africa to 269 for 8 in the first One-Day International against India, in Durban, on Thursday.
Images from Wednesday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Chennai.
South Africa have retained the same 15-man squad that saved the series with Pakistan in October for their two home Tests against India later this month.
Defending champions South Africa crashed out of the ICC U19 World Cup after suffering a shock two-wicket loss against qualifier Namibia in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Sunday.
Batting ace Sachin Tendulkar has injury concerns just a day before India names its team for the World Cup in Chennai on Monday. The batting ace was ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against South Africa after injuring his right hamstring during his 24-run innings, off 44 balls, in the second ODI against the Proteas at the Wanderers on Saturday, which India won by one run to level the series 1-1.
India's emphatic win in Durban has set the tone for a high-voltage climax as the visitors go into the series-deciding third cricket Test against the Proteas in Cape Town on Sunday seeking to record their first-ever series triumph on South African soil.
Confidence on sky high after the convincing win in the opener against India in Centurion, South Africa middle-order batsman Hashim Amla on Friday said the Proteas will be hoping to seal the three-match series in the second Test beginning in Durban on Sunday.
The visitors won the first two matches of the series in Durban and Centurion by six and nine wickets, respectively, dismantling the home side with consummate ease.
Images from day three of the first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion, on Saturday.
Cricket Australia still in the dark over Australia vs India day-night Test
South Africa reeled off their modest victory target of 41 runs early on the fourth day of the second Test against Pakistan to clinch the series with a comprehensive nine-wicket triumph at Newlands on Sunday.
Rain washed out day two of the second Test between Australia and South Africa in Hobart on Sunday.
A look at how the Indian players rated in the Test series against South Africa.
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
South Africa completed a comprehensive 163-run win over West Indies in the dying stages of the fourth day of the opening Test at the Queen's Park Oval on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been chosen as the 'ESPN Cricinfo Player of the Decade for the 2000s' by a 38-strong panel of experts, including current and former players.
South Africa have recalled fast bowler Kyle Abbott for the second Test against India in his home town of Durban starting on Boxing Day (December 26).
Dale Steyn became the second South African bowler to claim 400 Test wickets.
Dwaine Pretorius felt like an outsider, stuck on the sidelines as South Africa's World Cup went wrong but he was integral again on Friday as they claimed a morale-boosting win over Sri Lanka. The all-rounder had not featured for the Proteas since their tournament opener almost a month ago at the Oval, where he finished wicketless and ran himself out for a duck in their defeat to England.
Rishabh Pant's form would be an important sub-plot when India look to seize the advantage against South Africa
Faced with a do-or-die situation after the heartbreaking one-run loss in Jaipur, South Africa coach Corrie van Zyl today hinted that the visitors may make some changes in their side for the second one-dayer against India in Gwalior on Wednesday.
South Africa's swashbuckling batsman AB de Villiers has admitted that he is not satisfied with his current T20 record despite playing a major role in his side's two-match series win against England.
Captain Kane Williamson struck a composed unbeaten century as New Zealand edged past South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling last-over finish.
India Abroad's Bikash Mohapatra is at the ground posting live updates as they happen. Follow what's the latest from the Test on Bikash's MyPage!.
They came, they saw but they just failed to conquer. South Africa last trip to India (2008) reached a peak -- with a resounding win in the second Test at Ahmedabad -- and hit a trough in the next Test at Kanpur.
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The first match of the two-Test series between India and South Africa will be played at Nagpur's VCA stadium in Jamtha from February 6 to 10, while the second will be at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from the 14th to 18th. The Proteas are scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on January 31 and proceed to Nagpur the next day, according to sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The Proteas lost the second T20 International by seven wickets after the series opener was washed out.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed that Proteas captain, Faf du Plessis, has appealed the decision of the ICC Match Referee which found him guilty of a breach of Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Faf was charged with ball tampering last week after footage emerged from the Hobart Test of him applying saliva to the ball with a mint in his mouth. "Faf has decided to appeal the match referee's decision after he and his legal team had studied the written reasons provided by the match referee." commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.
'... Obviously one of the best batsman in the world in Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni with his experience, so they pose a big threat. But the beauty of the game and the tournament structure is that, it doesn't matter where you are ranked or which team you are playing. It is about the performance of the day and that is the most important thing'
Moeen Ali revealed that Jofra Archer is the fastest bowler he has ever faced after watching the England newcomer rip South Africa apart at The Oval.
South Africa need 156 runs to win the third Test with 90 overs and eight wickets in hand.
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