'They are formidable but not unbeatable. It was just one phase with the bat where we let ourselves down and a quality side like India made us pay'.
Despite the impressive record that the WTC finalists are in possession of, Bangar doesn't believe the Proteas or the Baggy Greens will receive an edge over the other in the Ultimate Test, which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday.
Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored 153 on debut and Corbin Bosch an unbeaten maiden century as a much-changed South Africa reached 418 for nine on the opening day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Temba Bavuma hopes his eye-catching innings in South Africa's seven-wicket victory over England in the first One-day international at Newlands on Tuesday will end the debate over whether he deserves his place in the side.
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
With the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semi-finals, the victor of Tuesday's clash in Rawalpindi will have one foot in the knockout rounds.
Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads for the Pakistan tour.
Bavuma will captain the team to the 2021 and 2022 Twenty20 World Cups, as well as the 50-over World Cup in 2023. Elgar has been handed the reins for the next cycle of the ICC Test Championship that will run up until mid-2023.
'I think it's an ongoing process, just continuously putting in hours of work and speaking to people that have played in these conditions, have done well in these conditions.'
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
Markram's good form augurs well for the Proteas
South Africa's Temba Bavuma was left stranded on 95 not out as they tightened their grip over scandal-hit Australia after reducing the hapless visitors to 110 for six at the close on the second day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.
Temba Bavuma scored an unbeaten half-century as South Africa reached 233 for four at end of Day 1
South Africa insist they are confident of chasing down a tough target to win the World Test Championship at Lord's even if the contest against Australia has been dominated by the bowlers.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
Openers De Kock (78) and Janneman Malan (91) excelled with the bat as South Africa easily overhauled India's total of 287 for 6 and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
'I don't know what the maths looks like but we're playing good cricket and we want it to continue.'
South Africa ended 27 years of hurt by beating Australia at Lord's to win the ICC World Test Championship 2025.
South Africa's Temba Bavuma struck his maiden Test century in quick time (102 off 148), and in so doing, became the first black South African to crack a Test ton.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy second Semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Wednesday
The 30-year-old De Kock, who has already retired from Test cricket, confirmed he will not play One-Day Internationals beyond the World Cup.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
The loss of Bavuma will further weaken their top six, especially as the experienced Reeza Hendricks has withdrawn from the squad after the birth of his first child, while the in-form Rassie van der Dussen is doubtful for the first match of the series, at least, with a grade one left quadriceps strain.
Jadeja reduces South Africa to 93/7 in second innings, India smell big win
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes South Africa has a slight edge over New Zealand in their Champions Trophy semifinal clash.
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period.
Sri Lanka used the seamer friendly conditions at Kingsmead to reduce South Africa to 80/4 before rain stopped play on the opening day of the first Test
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Saturday rated Protea opener Aiden Markram's measured hundred against Australia in the World Test Championship final as the "best innings" by a South African batter in Test matches.
South Africa have eight wickets in hand and are now overwhelming favourites to finish off the job, and take the title away from champions Australia, who had set them a daunting fourth innings target of 282 in the final on Friday.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja would open the innings for Australia in the WTC final against South Africa while the fit-again Cameron Green would bat at the No. 3 position.
Batsmen Temba Bavuma and Keegan Petersen, left-arm seam bowler Beuran Hendricks, and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo will join the team in Johannesburg on Wednesday
Captain Temba Bavuma hailed what he termed South Africa's brave decision to bat first in their comprehensive 107-run Champions Trophy win over Afghanistan on Friday
Afghanistan earned a first-ever One Day International victory over a depleted South Africa when they romped to a comfortable six-wicket triumph in the first game of the three-match series in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Instead of waiting for the injury to heal by itself, he decided to hit the "baseball cage" in New York, where he owns an apartment.
As the PSL coincided with the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, Bosch opted out of the PSL, leading the PCB to issue him a legal notice for an alleged contract violation.
