Philander's partnership with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel has earned the trio the label as the most-balanced and penetrating attack in world cricket.
Unbeaten in seven Test series since 2013, New Zealand are widely viewed to have their best chance in a good while to secure a second series victory on Australian soil to go with the Richard Hadlee-inspired 1985 triumph.
Barring Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, all players have declared their allegiances to IPL franchises over their respective countries' domestic sides ahead of the upcoming Champions League Twenty20.
South Africa opener Dean Elgar reckons that the toss will play an important role in tougher Indian conditions during the four-Test series and said they will look to put the Indian new ball bowlers under pressure early on.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians paid the price for an indifferent showing and crashed out of the Champions League T20 after being beaten by New Zealand's Northern Knights by six wickets in the final qualifying round match in Raipur, on Tuesday.
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee equated his country's pace attack for the upcoming Cricket World Cup at home to the 'biggest wolf pack' he has ever seen.
Having guided Chennai Super Kings to their second Champions League T20 triumph, Suresh Raina said he improved his batting a great deal by learning from teammates, including Virat Kohli, who has shown the way with big hundreds in One-Day Internationals.
Rohit Sharma, who scored a century on debut on Day 2 of the first Test against the West Indies in Kolkata on Thursday, said the endless wait to play a Test was annoying and he looked up to other sportspersons for inspiration.
Australia's Steven Smith has become the second youngest batsman after India's Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the number-one ranking in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen following stellar batting in the Kingston Test, which Australia won by 277 runs to win the series 2-0.
Two-time former champions and the most consistent team of the season, Chennai Super Kings will lock horns with late bloomers Mumbai Indians in a high-voltage Indian Premier League summit clash in Kolkata, bringing the 47-day T20 extravaganza to a relatively controversy-free end.
Sri Lanka's victory in the first Test at Galle will rank among the greatest comebacks of all time.
Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the final of the Indian Premier League with a comfortable 25-run win over Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium.
Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical performance as they demolished bottom placed Kings XI Punjab by seven wickets to finish on top of the league table and qualify for the play-offs in the Indian Premier League in Mohali.
Rajneesh Gupta gives us a list of noteworthy statistics from first-class and Ranji Trophy
"I don't know what to say. It is really a dream come true. I was confident of being picked for my base price of Rs 10 lakh but never thought of the crores. I just hope I get to play in the eleven," a soft-spoken Cariappa said.
This year's auctions will wrap up in one day.
Stung by the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's top officials are working out a contingency plan to ensure that the high-profile league remains an eight-team affair.
As serious doubts remain over Michael Clarke's participation in the first Test against India, Steven Smith is being seen by many as a front-runner to lead Australia in the regular skipper's absence.
Expect a battle of wits when Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings lock horns in Wednesday's Indian Premier League match in Bangalore.
Yuvraj Singh has emerged as the costliest cricketer in the IPL 8 players' auction, bought for a record Rs 16 crore (USD 2.57 million approx) by Delhi Daredevils.
India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, along with his teammates Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin, among others, will be up for grabs for the two new IPL teams in the draft to be held in Mumbai.
The tri-series in Australia, India's final ODI engagement before the World Cup, gets underway on January 16, says Chandresh Narayanan, casting a fascinating look at the survivors from earlier World Cups.
It will be a battle of tactics as a formidable Chennai Super Kings, led by the wily Mahendra Singh Dhoni, square off against a confident Royal Challengers Bangalore under an aggressive Virat Kohli in the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League, in Ranchi on Friday.
Sandhu is excited at the prospect of playing alongside Zaheer Khan.
67 players, including 23 overseas, were sold and Rs 86.8 crore spent on them by the eight franchises in Bangalore on Monday.
The cricketing world is all set for another feast with the Indian Premier League.
Steve Smith led the way with another good knock as Australia raced to 251 for 6 and a lead of 348 over India before rain stopped play at the end of the fourth day in the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Statistical highlights from the day's play.
Virender Sehwag was at his vintage best as he smashed a power-packed 122 to guide Kings XI Punjab to a convincing 24-run victory over Chennai Super Kings and a place in the final of the Indian Premier League on Friday night.
Lendl Simmons smashed a scintillating 61-ball 100 to guide Mumbai Indians to a morale-boosting seven-wicket win over table toppers Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League in Mohali.
India's batting ace Yuvraj Singh commanded the highest price, Royal Challengers Bangalore paying a massive 14 crore for him, while Dinesh Karthik was a surprise pick at 12.5 crore by Delhi Daredevils.
As I was training for the upcoming season, it dawned on me that my shoulder may not last the rigours of bowling nearly eighteen overs a day, and that's when I knew it was time, says Zaheer Khan after his retirement from international cricket.
Former Australia captain, Dean Jones, is of the view that India Test captain Virat Kohli must have a say in picking the next coach and also says that changing staff again and again isn't a solution for the team.
The One-day International series in their bag, Australian big-hitter Glenn Maxwell, on Sunday, said the hosts are 'desperate' to achieve a 5-0 whitewash against India.
Dhoni returns to the Indian dressing room after three months and for him the series will be start of the preparation for next year's World Twenty20, that will be hosted by India.
So 52 games have already been played in the Indian Premier League this season. Here are the Most Valuable players and some random observations by Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle.
Ajinkya Rahane hit a resolute fifty and spinner Pravin Tambe scalped three crucial wickets as Rajasthan Royals notched up a 14-run victory over Chennai Super Kings to advance to the finals of the Champions League Twenty20.
The 2016 World T20 was the most exciting ever, what with that dramatic last over finish on Sunday night.
With 59 matches spread across 10 cities, the cash-rich league starting Saturday will unearth new domestic talents apart from giving some of the tried and tested faces a shot at redemption during the next seven weeks of what is again expected to be a perfect marriage of cricket and entertainment.
IPL 9 was not just about unfancied Sunrisers Hyderabad's triumph, Virat Kohli's run spree or Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman's economy rate.
