South Africa will dearly miss AB de Villiers in the World Cup. De Villiers announced a shock retirement from international cricket last year.
Faf du Plessis led from the front as South Africa flexed their bowling muscles to thrash Bangladesh by 52 runs in the first Twenty20 Internationals on Sunday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
South Africa produced a dominant performance on Sunday to beat Australia by 80 runs in the second One-day International to level the three-match series 1-1.
New Zealand will play their first home Test against Zimbabwe in 11 years, as well as a three-match series against South Africa, in the next southern hemisphere summer, New Zealand Cricket announced on Friday.
A staggering 20 wickets fell on a dramatic day as India shot out South Africa for a record-low first innings score of 79 before setting the visitors a formidable target of 310 to win the third and penultimate cricket Test and clinch the series.
Images from Sunday, Day 4 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Pune.
South Africa won their first game at the World Cup, beating Afghanistan by nine wickets (DLS). Imran Tahir finished with figures of 4 for 29, the best figures by a spinner in the tournament so
South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by 22 runs in the second Twenty20 international in wind-swept Hambantota on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday, rose to a career-high second in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers even as A B de Villiers lost his top spot in the batsmen standings.
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.
'He knows what works best for him in the shortest format, T20. It's probably just about finding that balance at international level as well'
David Warner will continue as Australia vice-captain despite his involvement in a heated exchange in the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead, an incident which has drawn condemnation and put his fiery personality back in the spotlight.
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.
'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.'
South Africa will need their bowlers to step up to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
'You get stretched as a person, you get stretched as a cricketer, I think you get to know yourself quite a lot as a person when you come to the smaller places where the hotels are maybe not as good, and you get challenged on the field'
'We are at this stage where we have lost almost all of our experience'
Here are different scenarios depending on how the series pans out
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Images from day three of the first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion, on Saturday.
Images from Wednesday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Chennai.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!.
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