'They need to be pro-active and take the pacers' challenge head on'
South Africa have been second-best in the One-Day International and Twenty20 series in England this year, and also suffered a first-round exit in the Champions Trophy, but Elgar believes the red ball can signal a change in fortunes.
Kings XI retains Chris Gayle. Steve Smith returns to the IPL. Delhi Daredevils sacks 10 players!
South Africa pace spearhead Dale Steyn has not allowed a series-ending injury to prevent him from backing his captain Faf du Plessis over allegations of ball tampering, suggesting Australia are using the incident as an excuse for losing. Du Plessis was charged with ball tampering on Friday after Australian television pictures showed him applying saliva to the ball with a sweet in his mouth during the second test, which South Africa won to clinch the series with a match to spare. The International Cricket Council (ICC) could ban Du Plessis from one test match if he is found guilty, putting him in doubt for next week's third test in Adelaide.
Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Wasim Jaffer will turn out for Mumbai against Maharashtra in the Elite Group 'B' match.
New Zealand paceman Southee ruled out; Proteas 'keeper De Kock doubtful starter
India moved up a rung to second spot, ahead of England, in the latest ICC Test rankings, issued on Monday, while South Africa strengthened its position as the numero uno side after the annual update of the championship table.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
Conceding that South Africa's teams haven't really fulfilled their potential in World Cups, captain Faf du Plessis said the Proteas need to win the upcoming ICC World T20 to shed the tag of 'chokers' which is haunting them for quite a while now.
Having struggled in the past one year after suspensions of Steve Smith and David Warner, Australia finally seemed to have picked their pieces and playing exactly like a five-time champions ought to.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and fast bowler Ryan Harris will join the team's coaching staff for the tour of New Zealand in January, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.
Steve Smith has demanded his team's batsmen lift their output and score centuries against South Africa in the wake of their humbling six-wicket loss in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.
India retained the No 1 spot in the latest Reliance ODI team rankings while Virat Kohli maintained the number two position with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni static at the seventh place in the batting chart released in Dubai.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on Saturday.
At stumps, on Day 2 of the third Test, South Africa, replying to India's first innings of 414, were 144 for 1.
Uncapped spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were named in South Africa's squad for next month's three-match test series in Australia on Monday as the Proteas seek to exploit a perceived weaknesses in their hosts' batting. Faf du Plessis will again captain the team in the absence of injured AB de Villiers after leading the side in the two-test series against New Zealand last month, which they won 1-0. "Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful under Australian conditions and against the test batsmen we are likely to face," selector Linda Zondi said in a statement.
South Africa's attitude, rather than any change in tactics, will determine how well they do at the World Cup, says Quinton de Kock.
India needs to get the team composition right in the third and final Twenty20 International to prevent South Africa from recording a clean sweep, in Kolkata, on Thursday.
Much like at the Wanderers, Klaasen was harsh on Chahal and took him for 23 runs in the 13th over to turn the match on its head.
South African pacer Lungi Ngidi on Wednesday said that dismissing Virat Kohli, one of the world's best batsmen, in India's second innings of the second Test in Pretoria was a special moment.
South African pace bowling great Shaun Pollock criticised India's misplaced priorities and approach to the Test series against the Proteas, saying the team's lack of preparation stood out despite a historic ODI triumph.
Dane Piedt produced the best performance by a debutant South African spinner as the Proteas thumped Zimbabwe by nine wickets to retain their number one status following the one-off conTest at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
South Africa captain Hashim Amla hailed his team's uncharacteristically dogged batting in the fourth and final test against India even though it was not enough to avert their third loss in the four-match series. Set a daunting 481-run victory target, South Africa resorted to extraordinary stone-walling at Feroz Shah Kotla, blocking over after over in their desperate bid to prolong the contest.
Rilee Rossouw smashed a sparkling 78 off 50 balls to drive a youthful South Africa side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday in the first of three Twenty20 internationals.
Brad Hodge hit a double-century before Australia declared their second innings at 528 for 8 and set the South Africans a daunting target of 491 to win in just four sessions.
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar congratulated New Zealand on sealing their maiden cricket World Cup final spot, but also consoled South Africa for again failing to cross the semi-final hurdle after losing to the Kiwis by four wickets in a nail-biting finish in Auckland, on Tuesday.
The Proteas lost eight wickets for the addition of just 88 runs in the final session to slump to 25 for two in their second innings against Western Australia.
India will be desperately hoping that Rohit replicates his limited overs success in the traditional format
Kagiso Rabada became the youngest South Africa bowler to take seven wickets in an innings as the hosts took charge of the fourth and final Test against England on Sunday.
South Africa were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during Sunday's five-run victory over India in the opening game of the ODI series in Kanpur. The team's skipper, A B de Villiers, was docked 40 percent of his match fee.
Faf du Plessis fell two runs short of a fourth test century as South Africa eased past Zimbabwe's first innings total by reaching 278 for five at lunch on the third day of the one-off match at Harare Sports Club on Monday.
South Africa's coach Russell Domingo lists reasons for South Africa's batting collapse on Day 1 of the second Test against India in Bangalore on Saturday. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens in...
South Africa's pace bowlers laid the foundation for a crushing nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Twenty20 international at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old middle-order batsman's fine form means he is almost a certainty to be part of the squad that heads to India in February for four Tests, a series that will test his reputation for being able to play spin.
Both teams will hope to banish some unwanted baggage that has dogged them for years.
South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis will retire from Test and first-class cricket after the Boxing Day Test against India in Durban, the country's cricket board said on Wednesday.
Skipper Virat Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump was again exposed as India plunged into deep trouble at 28 for three, after their bowlers dismissed South Africa for a modest 286, on the opening day of the first Test in Cape Town on Friday.
IMAGES from the 3rd T20I played between India and South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town on Saturday
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