Needing 392 runs to avoid the follow-on, after the South Africans posted a mammoth 542 in their first innings, the hosts were shot out for a meagre 204 in 66.3 overs in their first essay, conceding a huge lead of 338 runs.
In Murali Vijay the team has now rediscovered a technically sound, highly reliable opener, who can be both aggressive and defensive, believes Haresh Pandya
Hardik Pandya has said that comparisons with Indian legend Kapil Dev are unwarranted
India's Team Director Ravi Shastri believes that the ODI tri-series we played prior to the World Cup was a sheer waste of time and energy
A round-up of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches played across the country on Saturday.
Set an improbable 438 for victory after England declared their second innings at 333 for 7, the West Indies were 98 for 2 at close on Day 4 of the first Test.
Sri Lanka's victory in the first Test at Galle will rank among the greatest comebacks of all time.
Following reports of three senior Pakistan players misbehaving with fielding coach Grant Luden, it is learned that opener Ahmed Shehzad may be sent home from the World Cup.
India paid the price for costly blunders at crucial junctures to suffer a nerve-wracking one-wicket defeat at the hands of arch rivals Pakistan, who rode on Shahid Afridi's brilliant cameo to virtually assure themselves a berth in the final of the Asia Cup in Mirpur on Sunday.
Wriddhiman does acknowledge that he didn't score too many runs despite getting starts (25 and 35) in the first innings of both the Test matches Down Under.
Images from the final day's play of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Tuesday.
- 'As a captain, I think first and foremost I'll try to lead from the front with my performance on the field' - 'It's a different kettle of fish (leading) Australia, but I'm really looking forward to the challenge'
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Friday
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com's report card on India's three-ODI series in Bangladesh.
Australia's Steve Smith, attributed his success to calmness and the repetitive process of getting ready for on-field battle.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spun a web around Sri Lankan batsmen with a six-wicket haul as India dismissed the hosts for a paltry 183 in the first innings to gain the upperhand on the opening day of the first Test in Galle on Wednesday.
'Offensive operations to capture objectives across the LoC to eliminate terrorist launch pads and deny the use of the most dangerous routes of infiltration, are likely to be limited to brigade-level attacks.' 'These limited operations are unlikely to escalate to war across the international boundary,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played at various venues across the country.
For days now, the fan has sat in front of the telly every night hoping to see an IPL contest that would leave the nerves jangling. Instead, he is served an insipid display that forces him to slumber the evening away, says Dhruv Munjal.
- 'Give this side 12 months and you watch, they will be a bullet side' - 'The scoreline doesn't matter' - 'What we miss overseas is a batsman in the top six who can bowl. Someone like Sourav'
The success against India this summer has been outstanding from a team and individual point of view, said Australian skipper Steve Smith, who became only the second batsman to score four successive hundreds in a four-Test series.
A staggering 20 wickets fell on a dramatic day as India shot out South Africa for a record-low first innings score of 79 before setting the visitors a formidable target of 310 to win the third and penultimate cricket Test and clinch the series.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli lauded his bowlers for their lion-hearted effort.
Australia returned to the top of the Test world rankings on Wednesday after Steve Smith and Adam Voges steered the tourists to victory in the second Test against New Zealand to seal a comprehensive 2-0 series win.
Round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches being played in different parts of the country.
Rediff.com rates the Indian players' performances in the ODI series.
Medium pacer Sandeep Warrier picked up three wickets, while opener Unmukt Chand struck a patient half-century as India's Under-23 team got the better of arch-rivals Pakistan by three wickets in a limited overs Group 'A' match of the ACC Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore.
Prime witness to one of the biggest controversies that rocked Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has finally spoken about the anger and sense of betrayal he felt during the 'Monkeygate scandal' in Australia, revealing that he took the lead in threatening a boycott of the tour at the peak of the furore.
Afghanistan notched up their first major win against a Test playing nation as they produced an all-round performance to script an upset 32-run victory over Bangladesh in their Asia Cup match in Fatullah on Saturday.
Virender Sehwag's experiment to bat in the middle-order failed, and Gautam Gambhir's woeful run of form continued, as India 'A' were restricted to 191 for 3 at stumps on the second day of the second unofficial 'Test' against West Indies 'A', at the Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering cricket ground, in Shimoga, on Thursday.
'The Modi government's greatest blunder is to exploit sensitive external relations in its domestic politics,' says Shekhar Gupta.
Shikhar Dhawan capitalised on three reprieves to slam his third ODI century as India crushed Zimbabwe by 58 runs in the second One-dayer in Harare on Friday.
Lasith Malinga's brilliant five-wicket haul under pressure and opener Lahiru Thirimanne's second ODI century helped Sri Lanka script a thrilling 12-run win over Pakistan in a nail-biting opening match of the Asia Cup at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, in Fatullah, on Tuesday.
Opener Lokesh Rahul starred with the bat as he scored a career-best 158 to steer India to a big lead, on Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies, in Jamaica, on Sunday.
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches being played at different venues over the country.
Photos from Day 2 of the 3rd Test match played in Nagpur on Thursday
India continued to enjoy the upperhand in the second and final Test against New Zealand despite a fighting unbeaten century from home team captain Brendon McCullum, who led a spirited fightback on an absorbing third day in Wellington on Sunday.
Defending champions the West Indies trounced Pakistan by 84 runs on Tuesday to set up a semi-final meeting with Sri Lanka in the ICC World Twenty20. Led by a late charge from Dwayne Bravo (46) and skipper Darren Sammy (42 not out) the West Indies put up an impressive 166 for six after electing to bat and then shot out Pakistan for a meagre 85 in 17.5 overs.
Swapnil Singh broke an eleven-year jinx as he scored his maiden first class century, a knock of 164 without a blemish, to help Baroda take a massive first innings lead of 404 runs against Mumbai on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy Group C match.
