Off-spinner Dane Piedt raised hopes of an unlikely South African victory as he grabbed three wickets on Wednesday to leave England on 155 for six at tea on the final day of the high-scoring second Test.
The more he has been dropped down the order - for this Test the former opener came in at number eight - the more he has accepted that his primary role is to take wickets.
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.
Paceman Dale Steyn returned from a brief vacation to inspire South Africa and spinner Imran Tahir took four wickets as they throttled Pakistan's batsmen to win the third one-day international in Abu Dhabi by 68 runs on Wednesday.
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.
South Africa have now lost five Tests in a row, including two shock home losses to Sri Lanka, and are struggling with on-field know-how to dig themselves out of tough situations.
The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell launched an incredible counter-attack after the fall of quick wickets in the start to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to an entertaining five-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday. Chasing a challenging 186-run target set by RCB, Yusuf smashed an unbeaten 60 off only 29 balls to guide KKR home with five balls remaining.
Brilliant bowling by the pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel, followed by skipper Gautam Gambhir's superb half-century, powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Saturday.
Ryan Harris claimed the last two wickets at the fag end of the match as South Africa were bowled out for 265 and lost the third and final Test by 245 runs at Newlands on Wednesday. Australia won the series 2-1.
Dale Steyn produced a ferocious spell of fast bowling to inspire South Africa to a crushing 231-run victory over Australia in fading light on day four of the second Test on Sunday.
Mitchell Johnson took his match haul to 10 after claiming three South Africa wickets on Saturday as Australia reduced the hosts, facing a 482-run target for victory, to 132 for five in the first Test.
Michael Clarke remained unbeaten on 161, one of the more heroic of his 27 Test hundreds, as Australia reached 494 for seven before rain brought an early tea on the second day of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa on Sunday.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders take on Rajasthan Royals at the Brabourne stadium, in Mumbai, on Saturday, in a perform-or-perish contest, as the race for play-off berths in IPL 8 hots up.
Late call-up Shaun Marsh scored an unbeaten century in his first Test in two years to lead a middle-order recovery as Australia closed at 297 for four on the first day of the first Test against South Africa on Wednesday.
Dale Steyn is all set to go out all guns blazing in Melbourne, when South Africa takes on India in World Cup Pool B match.
A career-best 119 from Virat Kohli lifted India to a respectable 255 for five at the close on an even opening day of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers on Wednesday.
The Pakistan-born bowler made an instant impact on his return to the South Africa line-up and his team mates made sure his hard work did not go to waste as they finished the day on 128 for three wickets, a 29-run first innings lead.
To combat defending champions India in Sunday's World cup match, the South African team management has brought in Gary Kirsten, Mike Hussey and Allan Donald.
Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling coach Wasim Akram has said that captain Gautam Gambhir's leadership and the team bonding is responsible for its success in the IPL and the ongoing Oppo Champions League T20.
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.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced high-quality reverse-swing to claim five wickets against South Africa as the tourists seized control of the first Test with a first innings lead of 189 at the close on the second day.
Dale Steyn became South Africa's second highest wicket taker as West Indies reached 276 for six on the first day of the third Test on Friday.
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's hopes of victory on day five of the second Test against West Indies were thwarted in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday by heavy overnight rain and a wet outfield which prevented any play.
Moeen Ali took three wickets on Wednesday as England made quick work of securing victory in the first Test by bundling out South Africa for 174 before lunch and ensure a 241-run victory on the last day at Kingsmead.
'We are at this stage where we have lost almost all of our experience'
South Africa have named teenage speedster Kagiso Rabada in a 14-man squad for their three-match home Test series against West Indies, Cricket South Africa announced on Tuesday.
AB de Villiers' masterly 85 in his 100th test could not gloss over South Africa's spin frailty as India took charge of the second Test after dominating the opening day at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
A humdinger on cards as South Africa chase first series win in India
South African speedster Dale Steyn will miss the fourth and final test against India with a lingering groin injury that has limited his participation in the four-match series to a solitary contest in the series-opener in Mohali.
Zimbabwe were bowled out twice on Wednesday as South Africa swept to an easy victory by an innings and 120 runs as the inaugural four-day Test finished inside two days at St George's Park.
India failed to make the best of first use of the wicket, their batsmen capitulating against both pace and spin as they were dismissed for 215 in the first innings in the third Test against South Africa at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, in Nagpur, on Wednesday. However, the hosts hit back immediately, claiming two early scalps, leaving the Proteas reeling on 11 for 2 after nine overs at the end of Day 1.
Cricket will venture into new territory when South Africa tackle Zimbabwe in the first official four-day Test match to be played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth starting on Tuesday.
South Africa have named uncapped batsman Theunis de Bruyn in their injury-hit squad for the three-match home Test series against Sri Lanka that starts on December 26.
Galle has built a reputation as a spinners' paradise but Australia captain Steve Smith hopes there will be substantial reverse swing at the venue as his top-ranked team bid for a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the second test. Sri Lanka inflicted a 106-run defeat on the touring side at Pallekele last week in the opening match of the three-test series with the spinners taking 18 out of 20 Australian wickets to fall.
Photos from the ICC World Cup match played between South Africa and Ireland on Tuesday.
The pacer injures ankle during warm-up session; Kyle Abbott has been called up as replacement
Virat Kohli (fourth), Shikhar Dhawan (seventh) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (ninth) have also maintained their respective positions in the ICC ODI batting chart.
'In what could be a watershed series, they have also caused a change in the way Australia will play their cricket in the future following the ball-tampering furore for which this series will long be remembered.'
