Dean Elgar scored an unbeaten century but an excellent spell of bowling from Australia seamer Pat Cummins restricted South Africa to 266 for eight at the close of play on the opening day of the third Test at Newlands on Thursday.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will need their famed top-order batting to fire and turn things around when they take on Punjab Kings in the IPL in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Australia moved one wicket from victory in the first Test against South Africa on Sunday after Mitchell Starc's swing bowling decimated the hosts' lower order and dampened their hopes of an unlikely recovery.
Almost out of reckoning for a place in the play-offs, bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to play party-poopers when they take on an equally struggling Punjab Kings in the battle of laggards in the IPL in Sharjah on Saturday.
South African Test skipper Dean Elgar urged his teammates to choose national duty in a series against Bangladesh over the upcoming IPL as it is a test of loyalty for them and they must prioritise their country.
Medium pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled economically before Kieron Pollard struck twice with the big wickets of Chris Gayle and K L Rahul to get his 300th IPL wicket and dent the Punjab batting.
Tactician par excellence Gautam Gambhir couldn't have envisaged a battle of brains with a more different kind of adversary than the smiling yet ruthless Pat Cummins as Kolkata Knight Riders face a spirited Sunrisers Hyderabad in a mega IPL final in Chennai on Sunday.
Travis Head's aggressive fifty and a clinical showing from the bowlers helped Sunrisers Hyderabad score a fine 67-run victory over Delhi Capitals.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel are likely to be the frontline pacers, but for the third pacer's slot it will be interesting to see if India pick Umran Malik, who troubled quite a few batters in IPL 2022 with his raw pace, or young Arshdeep Singh, who impressed with his consistent performances for Punjab Kings.
South Africa should have been more clinical in the run-chase against Pakistan during the World Cup match in Chennai on Friday, said skipper Temba Bavuma, adding they were lucky to escape by the skin of their teeth.
The Indian cricket team will assemble in New Delhi on June 5 ahead of the five-match T20I series against South Africa.
South African batsman JP Duminy is to return home ahead of the third Test against England in a move that could signal the end of his Test career.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock will be available for the ODI series after his abrupt retirement from Test cricket on Thursday, while all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius earns a recall.
Seamer Lungi Ngidi saved his best performance for the last game in the series as he recorded figures of 3-32.
First innings centurion Aiden Markram (35 not out) and Heinrich Klaasen (0 not out) will resume on the third morning, hoping to build on what is already a sizeable advantage.
Opener Aiden Markram made a return to form as he scored 78 to help South Africa into a strong position on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan at Newlands on Thursday.
India captain Virat Kohli dropped one place to fifth despite his half-century against Pakistan for a lost cause in the ongoing T20 World Cup while team-mate KL Rahul slipped two slots to eighth in the ICC men's T20I Player rankings.
23 wickets and several records fell on the opening day of the second and final Test in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Images from the ICC World Cup match between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
In a clash featuring remarkable centuries from both teams, Virat Kohli's magnificent hundred for Royal Challengers Bangalore stole the spotlight, despite Heinrich Klaasen's outstanding display for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, May 18, 2023, night.
Seamer Lungi Ngidi showed all his guile to take five wickets for 19 runs as South Africa skittled West Indies for 97 and seized the initiative on the first day of the first Test in Saint Lucia on Thursday.
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Heinrich Klaasen's entertaining half-century went in vain as Andre Russell's all-round effort steered Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling four-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday
'I think just to tick it off in a World Cup and get the campaign started was a big thing for the guys' confidence obviously, we know that big pressure.'
The teams for both the matches are a mix of experience and youth.
Wicketkeeper Kona Bharat has showcased his skills with the gloves and bat in the several games he has played for India 'A' in the past year or so and is close to selection in the Test team.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took three wickets as South Africa bowled India out for 187 to take the opening day honours on a seaming wicket in the third and final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Australian captain Aaron Finch said his team "needed a bit of luck" to get the better of South Africa in their ICC T20 World Cup opener here on Saturday.
Images from Day 2 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
Aaron Finch's side will head to Sunday's decider in Hobart buoyed by Australia's first win in the short format since January and having delivered some badly needed cheer for the struggling cricket nation.
India beat South Africa by 16 runs in a high-scoring Twenty20 international in Guwahati on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Images from the rain-curtailed 1st ODI between India and South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday.
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The 2023 World Cup culminated with Australia extending their World Cup title wins to six with a six-win over India in the final played here on Sunday.
They have looked more comfortable setting targets than chasing one though, and they will expect more penetration from their bowlers against a resurgent Australia.
Having conceded 25 runs in the first three overs, SRH were back in the game and it got better for them with the introduction of T Natarajan (2/30) into the attack as the left-arm pacer bowled Ruturaj Gaikwad (16).
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