South Africa captain Graeme Smith expects an even contest between bat and ball to set up a thrilling finale in the series-deciding third Test against Australia at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Keshav Maharaj took career best figures of 6-40 as South Africa romped to an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand on the extended third day of the second Test on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Proteas are working overtime to devise a strategy to get the better of the right-hander and they believe the best way to dismiss Rohit is to get him early before he gets his eye in.
The 2-0 series triumph over New Zealand has propelled England to the third spot in the ICC Test Rankings, just one point behind second-placed India. Sunday's win in Nottingham, coupled with the victory at Old Trafford and the draw at Lord's means England rises above South Africa in the Test Championship table into third position.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper injured the index finger on his right hand while fielding in South Africa's eight-wicket win in the second Test in Wellington and underwent scans earlier this week.
Heather Knight's majestic maiden T20I century helped England to a record-breaking 98-run victory over Thailand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match at Manuka Oval, in Canberra, on Wednesday. In the day's second match, played later, Pakistan claimed the scalp of the West Indies outplaying the 2016 winners in an eight-wicket victory.
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Sourav Ganguly emphasised the need for playing day/night Tests to attract more spectators to stadiums.
South African cricketer Faf du Plessis has now reportedly turned the tables on the visitors by claiming that something was amiss about the ball reversing so early on the third day of the decisive third Test at Newlands.
Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.
South Africa batsman AB de Villiers became the first player in the history of Test cricket to score a half-century in 12 consecutive Tests after he crossed 50 in the first innings on the opening day of the second Test against Australia, at St George's Park, on Thursday.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis said that the 2015 series loss in India on raging turners motivated their team to win the series in Centurion, on a pitch that 'should have suited the visitors more'.
India's status as the No 1 Test side in ICC rankings will remain intact irrespective of how the series against South Africa pans out, but the Proteas will join the visitors at the top if they win all the three matches.
Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Wasim Jaffer will turn out for Mumbai against Maharashtra in the Elite Group 'B' match.
30 wickets across two games... a good day for the bowlers at last...
Uncapped left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar has joined the test squad from the Pakistan A team currently in Hamilton.
The BCCI also wrote a few words wishing luck to the former SA captain.
'The confidence and the momentum of that definitely helps. It just makes you raise your own bar of performance, you want to be a better player. My challenge to myself was to be a good player and now it's to become a great player. So it's just about lifting the bar and making a mind shift'
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.
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.
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.
Shamsi's stint at RCB has helped him grow as a cricketer with the likes of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle providing him useful tips.
'They need to be pro-active and take the pacers' challenge head on'
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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.
At stumps, on Day 2 of the third Test, South Africa, replying to India's first innings of 414, were 144 for 1.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
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.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on Saturday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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