The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
Graeme Smith emphasised the importance of getting off to a strong start in the upcoming Test series against India
Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
Marco Jansen demolished the Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket haul before South Africa extended their lead on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
Irfan Pathan has heaped praise on the bowling attack of Sunrisers Hyderabad saying they have performed well even without their pace spearhead Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led the way with a doughty 68 as a dominant India outclassed Sri Lanka by 15 runs in the fifth T20I to complete a 5-0 series sweep.
Out-of-favour India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan made a compelling case for a T20I recall with a belligerent hundred to power Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title after a 69-run victory over Haryana in Pune on Thursday.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England's first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss.
McDonald also said the selectors would consider a Test recall for Mitch Marsh, even if Australia's white-ball captain said last week he would be watching the Ashes series beer in hand.
India had entered the tournament on a high, demolishing the UAE by 234 runs in their opening match, powered by a Suryavanshi century.
Steve Smith and Travis Head hit centuries to help Australia dominate the third day's play by stretching their lead against England in the fifth and final Ashes Test.
'The only thing is I said that make sure that be brave enough. At the most, what will happen, you know. But be brave enough to face it.'
Siraj was named the 'Impact Player of the Series' in Team India's dressing room honours.
Joe Root and Harry Brook hit half-centuries to put England in control before bad light ended play early on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test.
Arshdeep Singh -- statement spells against SA shows need to give pacer consistent ODI outings
Buoyed by her team's first win in the ongoing Women's World Cup in Guwahati on Friday, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine expressed hopes of a turnaround for the White Ferns in the tournament and cited South Africa's stunning victory over India.
India captain Shubman Gill admitted that dropped catches and a total which was just adequate cost his side dearly as Australia clinched the ODI series with a disciplined all-round performance in Adelaide on Thursday.
Shai Hope's unbeaten hundred steered West Indies to 212/4 in a mammoth chase of 531 on day four of the opening Test against New Zealand.
In reply, India were 144 for 7 from 40 overs at the draw of stumps with Henil and Deepesh batting on 22 and 6 respectively.
Sarfaraz Khan delivered a thunderous reminder of his white-ball credentials ahead of India's upcoming ODI series against New Zealand
South African pace great Dale Steyn described Hardik Pandya as a superhero who "operates at another level mentally" with an unmatched aura. His comments came after the flamboyant India all-rounder's scintillating knock in the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday.
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to see bowlers playing a crucial role in the success of teams.
Ton-up Desai helps Saurashtra make semis
South Africa were dealt a major blow before the first ball was even bowled, with pace ace Kagiso Rabada ruled out of the opening Test against India due to a rib injury.
India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi on Saturday said wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is being monitored by the strength and conditioning team
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
Morale in Indian camp is high, one-week break has been good for us, says Deepti
New Zealand will pin their hopes on a rookie attack and field a new wicketkeeper when they take on the West Indies in the second Test in Wellington starting on Wednesday following a slew of injuries.
'Here the wicket is hard and the outfield really fast. If you are desperate, if you try to bowl those magic balls, you'd end up bleeding runs.'
Kuldeep bowled the best ball to beat me in drift and my hands followed: Stubbs on his dismissal
Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks will replace paceman Mark Wood in an otherwise unchanged England side for the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane.
Reeling from injuries to captain Pat Cummins and paceman Josh Hazlewood, Australia have received a boost ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth starting Friday, with Cameron Green telling reporters he is ready to bowl free of any restrictions.
Scott Boland will step up and uncapped Brendan Doggett is tipped for a high-stakes debut to try to shore up the loss of a combined 604 Test wickets of experience.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali says India's bowlers bowled consistently in the right areas to suffocate the home batsmen for runs.
Bihar's teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged just 14, blasted an 84-ball 190 to become the youngest List-A centurion ever. His captain Sakibul Gani, then upstaged him with a 40-ball 128 not out -- the fastest List-A century by an Indian.
Cummins has been sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since Australia swept West Indies in the Caribbean in July.
Dazzling Rohit Sharma hits 155 as Mumbai decimate Sikkim by 8 wickets
Tilak Varma says out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav 'needs just one innings' to rediscover the mojo with which he once dominated bowlers like a marauder.
Left-arm spinners, all-rounders, and pacers who mastered their craft and left a mark in Test cricket.
Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen made Indian finger spinners' look ordinary in good batting conditions with invaluable lower-order contributions as South Africa seized control of the second Test.