The low-scoring second cricket Test was tantalisingly poised after the third day's play with South Africa needing 192 more runs to win and India also fancying their chances of a remarkable series-levelling victory in Durban.
Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan destroyed South Africa's batting to give India the upperhand at the end of day two in the second Test.
Batting mainstay VVS Laxman believes a 250 plus score in the first innings at Kingsmead will prove competitive and give India enough cushion to bowl out South Africa in the second Test.
Former South Africa captain Clive Rice rates the India bowling attack higher than South Africa's and said the home bowlers would struggle to take 20 wickets against a batting line-up, which boasts of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, in the Test series starting next week.
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal, shooter Gagan Narang and India cricketer VVS Laxman were among several sportspersons who were the part of the Queen's Baton Relay that arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday.
VVS Laxman's unbeaten century under pressure showed why he is regarded as "very very special", captain Mahendra Singh said on Saturday, attributing India's series-levelling victory against Sri Lanka to a "collective effort".
The 42-year-old batsman played 31 Tests and scored 1,944 runs, at an average of 34.11. He has five hundreds and 11 fifties in the longest format, with 212 his highest score.
Statistical highlights on day three of the third cricket Test between India and Australia in Melbourne.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori had no qualms in admitting that India's lower-order batman Harbhajan Singh denied the Kiwis a possible win in the first Test in Ahmedabad with his aggressive brand of cricket.
Images from the fifth and final day's play of the opening Test between India and New Zealand at Motera on Monday.
The opening Test between India and New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera ended as a draw on the fifth and final day on Monday. The visitors, chasing 295 to win, had made 22 for one when play was called off.
Chris Martin claimed five wickets and Kane Williamson and Jesse Ryder hit centuries to help New Zealand push for victory against India, on Day 4 of the first Test at the Sardar Patel stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, on Sunday. At close on day four, India were struggling at 82 for six in 40 overs, for an overall lead of 109 runs.
Virat Kohli's current and former team mates congratulated the newly-married couple.
Reading Team India's strong batting line-up in slow motion is sending shudders down New Zealand bowlers' spine, cricket columnist David Leggat has said.
Home conditions, crowd support and consistent performance of the past one and a half year make India the hot favourites in next month's cricket World Cup in the sub-continent, feels stylish Test batsman VVSLaxman.
The Indian Premier League will be a boon, not bane, for India's World Cup-bound players, VVS Laxman believes amid a raging debate around players' workload management programme.
Impressed with the way India team snatched a narrow one-wicket victory over Australia in the first cricket Test, legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar said it is one of the greatest sporting achievements of the country.
VVS Laxman (73 not out) came back to haunt Australia and inspire India to a memorable win on day five of the opening test at Mohali on Tuesday. Chasing 216 to win, the home team reached their target with a wicket to spare.
The Committee of Administrators is facing practical problems in implementing the Conflict of Interest guidelines on the day-to-day BCCI operations, CoA member Diana Edulji conceded.
No sooner had the match ended, social media was abuzz with congratulatory messages for the team.
Some current and former players paid their tribute to one of India's greatest players in limited overs cricket.
Live updates from Day 5 of the third and final Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town, on Thursday.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli thwarted Australia in a diligent partnership to push India to a position of strength and a 166-run lead at the close of day three of the first Test.
A look at India's most successful batsmen in the second innings, in wins since the Kolkata Test versus Australia in 2001.
VVS Laxman, the hero of India's second innings, feels it is important to get Jacques Kallis out quickly on Wednesday to win the second Test and draw level in the three-match series.
Ace spinner Harbhajan Singh feels India have a great chance of winning the second Test against South Africa provided they bat well in the first session and post a target of over 300 on Tuesday, Day 3.
Sachin Tendulkar (6018) is the first Indian and the third overall to aggregate 6,000 runs or more in Tests at home, joining Australia's Ricky Ponting (6790) and West Indian Brian Lara (6217).
An inspired spell by speedster Dale Steyn helped by some poor shot selection from Indian top-order saw visitors reeling at 183 for six when stumps were drawn on a rain-curtailed first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead, Durban on Sunday.
India need to carefully groom replacements for their batting 'fab four' after suffering a crushing innings defeat by South Africa on Tuesday, former captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said.
Stalwarts Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, as well as in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, were not retained by their franchises for 2011 and 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons and will go into the players' auction pool to be bought by interested teams.
Stylish middle-order batsman VVS Laxman says his dream is to score a century at Lord's and help India win the match during the team's upcoming tour of England.
Impressed with his consistent performance and attitude, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels Virat Kohli can become the future captain of India if he continues to work hard.
They are the pillar of the Indian Test team but Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman may have to lower their base prices in order to keep the franchises interested for the upcoming fourth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).
Statistical highlights at the end of third day's play in the second Test between India and New Zealand on Sunday.
Among his wards, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari have taken to Test cricket like duck to water, all-rounder Vijay Shankar is staking World Cup claims, while Shubhman Gill broke into the ODI team in New Zealand.
Rediff.com features the best sports images from the last 24 hours.
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh termed his century against New Zealand on the final day of the first Test as 'special.
The cricketer-turned-politician has sort of demolished his opponents, securing close to seven lakh votes, leaving close rivals -- Congress's Arvinder Singh Lovely and Aam Aadmi Party's Aatishi -- way behind.
Virender Sehwag justified the team management's decision not to play VVS Laxman in the second Test, saying had 'we played him we would have been even a fielder short'.
After single-handedly guiding India to a one-wicket victory over Australia in the nail-biting first cricket Test in Mohali on Tuesday, VVS Laxman termed his unbeaten 73 as one of his best knocks of his career.
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