Cheteshwar Pujara, India's batting mainstay in Test cricket, has surged to a career-high third position in the ICC Rankings after scoring back to back centuries against Sri Lanka in the ongoing three-match series.
Kumar Sangakkara remained unbeaten after a sparkling half-century as Sri Lanka responded well to the challenge of scoring 370 runs in four sessions in order to win the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.
Spin legend Shane Warne is banking on Proteas Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel to win friends when the lucrative Twenty20 tournament gets underway in South Africa on April 18.
India put up yet another dismal batting display, on seam-friendly conditions, to suffer a humiliating 134-run defeat in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Durban on Sunday.
Kagiso Rabada produced a sublime spell of bowling to take five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 243 in their first innings on the opening day of the second Test on Friday.
Ricky Ponting's bold declaration on Tuesday injected drama into the third and final Test in Sydney which seems headed for a nail-biting finish with South Africa needing 314 runs on a tricky fifth day track to complete a rare 3-0 whitewash. Set a daunting target of 376 runs, South Africa lost makeshift opener Morne Morkel for a second ball duck before reaching 62 for one at stumps on day four.
Check out the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2014.
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday backed Brett Lee to come good against South Africa and said the speedster was still quicker than South Africa's Dale Steyn.
An unbroken second-wicket century stand between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara put India in command on a curtailed opening day in the second Test against South Africa in Durban, on Thursday. Bad light forced play to be called off early, with India sitting pretty on 181 for 1 in 61 overs after electing to bat first.
Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by four wickets and off the last ball of the innings at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday.
South African captain Graeme Smith is reportedly unhappy with Cricket South Africa's (CSA) announcement of player contracts as it has been difficult for some of the players to handle.
Having won the series, India would like to carry on momentum forward, especially with the three-match T20I series to follow soon after. Yet, the visitors would also like to find a balance between going all out in a dead rubber and resting a few players keeping in mind a long overseas schedule later this year.
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.
South Africa will be hoping to ease new coach Ottis Gibson into his job in a two-Test series against Bangladesh where the home side defend a one-sided record against their opponents but are light on fast bowlers and still tinkering with their top order.
Fiery paceman Andre Nel returns to the squad as South Africa announced a battery of fast bowlers for their tour of England on Friday. The 30-year-old, who has played 34 tests, is the only addition to the squad that toured India in March and April, from which he was controversially omitted. Nel joins a six-man pace attack that includes the in-form Dale Steyn, the experienced Makhaya Ntini, the up-and-coming Morne Morkel, as well as Monde Zondeki.
The Pretoria wicket is likely to be similar, with perhaps not the same sideways movement of Newlands, and will provide another test of the Indian batsmen's bravery against a seam bowling barrage.
The veteran left-hander played a vital knock of 87 as India ended day two of the third Test against South Africa on 288 for nine, taking a first innings lead of 23 runs. VVS Laxman (50) was the major contributors in the Indian innings while Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were the most successful South African bowlers with figures of three for 60 and three for 57 respectively.
Suresh Raina's return could not have been better-timed as Gujarat Lions, jolted by the tournament's biggest ever defeat, seek to revive their campaign when they face off with Kolkata Knight Riders.
The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
South Africa pacer Dale Steyn declared on Monday that he is looking torment the Indian batsmen in the upcoming series with his brand of pace and swing bowling.
The 33-year-old, who has taken a break from Tests to manage his workload, missed the final of South Africa's domestic 50-overs tournament with a back injury, which also kept him out of Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL opener against Delhi.
The South African selectors announced four changes to the tour squad with Justin Kemp, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha and Charl Langeveldt replacing Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Ashwell Prince and Hashim Amla.
A supremely confident Delhi Daredevils return to their den and have a struggling and injury-ravaged Rising Pune Supergiants in their firing line up next in the Indian Premier League, in New Delhi, on Thursday.
Bangladesh reduced South Africa to 76 for four after being bowled out for 192 on the opening day of the first Test.
Irfan Pathan's recent performances on the ongoing tour of Australia didn't go unnoticed as the Indian all-rounder was purchased for a whopping US $9,25,000 by Preity Zinta's Mohali Franchise in round six of the Indian Premier League players' auction on Wednesday. The left-arm seamer, who base price was US $2,00,000, was far ahead of South Africa's Albie Morkel, who was snapped up by Chennai for US $6,75,000.
South Africa beat West Indies by 86 runs in the second one-day international on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The 22-yard strip at the Feroz Shah Kotla will be the cynosure of all eyes as a buoyant India seeks their biggest series triumph against South Africa when they square off in the final Test of the four-match rubber in Delhi on Thursday.
South Africa coach Ottis Gibson believes the world's best Test bowler Kagiso Rabada has learnt from his brush with suspension and expects more mature on-field behaviour in the third Test against Australia starting in Cape Town on Thursday.
Dale Steyn became the second South African bowler to claim 400 Test wickets.
The 28-year-old Starc finished with a match haul of nine for 109, enabling him to overtake South Africa's new-ball bowlers Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander among others, eclipsing his previous best sixth position that he enjoyed in December 2016.
South Africa beat Pakistan by 14 runs in the fifth and final ODI to clinch the five-match series 3-2.
A humdinger on cards as South Africa chase first series win in India
South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets to keep themselves in the hunt for a berth in semis of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Bangladesh continued their giant-killing exploits with a nine-wicket victory over South Africa in Wednesday's rain-hit final one-day international to clinch the three-match series 2-1.
Chennai Super Kings fell short by ten runs against Rajasthan Royals in Saturday's IPL match.
Chris Gayle hammered the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers into submission with a breathtaking 96 that guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to a three-wicket victory in an Indian Premier League encounter at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Wrestling komodo dragons, ethereal egrets and thirsty squirrels are amongst some of the incredible images captured for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
India rung in two changes, Munaf Patel and Dinesh Kaarthick coming in place of VRV Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni respectively, for the third Test against South Africa.
South Africa named uncapped left-arm spinner Paul Harris in their squad for the remaining two Tests against India.
Shaun Pollock smashed two fours and two sixes in his 36 not out off 25 balls as South Africa beat the West Indies by four wickets.
