Faced with the prospect of a humiliating 0-3 series whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to bounce back to winning ways against an unrelenting South Africa in the third and final Test, starting in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
Du Plessis had a tough time in 2015, scoring just 60 runs in seven innings.
Rohit Sharma's hopes of a Test comeback took a slight jolt as he was dismissed for a duck on the third and final day of the warm-up match between Board President's XI and South Africa.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town on Saturday
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Test between India and South Africa in New Delhi, on Sunday.
Coach Mark Boucher appears to have brought some steel back to the South African squad as they subdued an England side battling with illness and which has recently struggled to pick up wins on the road.
Dean Elgar's century and a quick-fire unbeaten 68 from Quinton de Kock lifted South Africa to 297 for six on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Monday.
Firebrand fast bowler Kagiso Rabada bagged two wickets as South Africa reduced England to 52 for three at the close of day four of the final Test on Monday.
Alastair Cook posted his first half-century of the series with an unbeaten 67 as England closed day two of the final Test on 138 for two, still 337 runs behind South Africa at Centurion Park on Saturday.
Virat Kohli and Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara held on to their second and seventh position respectively
IMAGES from Day 4 of the fourth Test between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg on Monday
Opener Aiden Markram led the way with a career-best 152 as South Africa had the better of the opening day of the fourth Test against a much-changed Australia, reaching the close on 313 for six on Friday.
Ben Stokes claimed a wicket for England in the first session of the third cricket test at the Wanderers on Thursday, but South Africa dealt with the early swing from the bowlers and advanced to 73 for one at lunch. South African wicketkeeper Dane Vilas was forced to make a desperate dash to the ground, including a police escort from the airport, after being called up as a late replacement for the injured Quinton de Kock. Stiaan van Zyl was the only wicket to fall for South Africa as he top-edged an attempted pull straight up in the air and was caught by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off Stokes' bowing for 21.
The fourth Test will not just be about how the Australian team perform, but how their behaviour is viewed by the watching world as they look to put the recent scandal behind them.
South Africa have named an unchanged squad for the remaining two Tests against England as AB de Villiers prepares to lead the five-day team for the first time in Johannesburg on Thursday.
An unbeaten half century from Joe Root helped England into a commanding position on the third day of the first Test as they opened up a 261-run lead over South Africa on Monday.
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
Spinner Moeen Ali crowned his excellent series by taking five wickets as England beat South Africa by 177 runs in the fourth Test in Manchester on Monday to secure a 3-1 series victory.
India 'A' registered a thumping innings and 13 runs victory over South Africa 'A' on the fourth and final day of the unofficial first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, in Rustenburg, on Tuesday.
Opener Reeza Hendricks, wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, spinner Aaron Phangiso and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who have all previously represented the country in the limited overs formats, picked for Bangladesh Tests
PCB Chairman, Najam Sethi is in the UK meeting with the British legal firm for advise. PCB's chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad has also flown to London for the same purpose.
The 21-year-old left-hander has gained 21 slots and reached 17th place, the joint-highest by a specialist India wicketkeeper along with Farokh Engineer, who did so in January 1973.
Ben Stokes struck a sparkling unbeaten 74 to help England finish the opening day of the second Test against South Africa on a healthy 317 for five at Newlands on Saturday.
New Zealand paceman Southee ruled out; Proteas 'keeper De Kock doubtful starter
Opener Dean Elgar provided stubborn resistance as South Africa finished the second day of the first Test on 137 for four in reply to England's 303 at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Dean Elgar made the most of being dropped early in his innings to score his seventh Test century and anchor South Africa's 229 for four at the close of play on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Wednesday.
The Proteas skipper felt that the manner in which Rohit Sharma batted in the second innings for his knock of 127, really made the chase difficult for his side.
Jimmy Anderson put England in firm control on the second day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Saturday, with his four wickets leaving South Africa trailing by 142 runs with just one first-innings wicket remaining.
Spinner Moeen Ali completed a hat-trick to seal England's 239-run victory over South Africa in the third Test at The Oval on Monday.
Toby Roland-Jones saw his dream debut continue as he completed a five-wicket haul to end South Africa's belated resistance and ensure England maintained their domination of the third Test at The Oval on Saturday.
Having made an impression with his efforts in the drawn warm-up match between Indian Board President's XI and South Africans, Mumbai medium pacer Shardul Thakur said he is confident of taking wickets anywhere except on rank turners.
England faced a double injury blow ahead of the second Test against South Africa as Rory Burns and Jofra Archer were declared doubtful for Friday's start at Newlands. South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has warned his team against complacency as they take a 1-0 series lead into the second Test against England, from whom he expects a backlash at Newlands.
Opener Mayank Agarwal stamped his authority on a struggling South African attack with a second successive hundred as India gained the upperhand on the opening day of the second Test.
South Africa removed the West Indian openers in Sunday's last session at Newlands to build on AB de Villiers' superb century and take the initiative in the final Test.
Outwitted in both the T20 and the ODI series, India will seek redemption in the Test format by trying to spin a web around the formidable South Africans in the four-match series starting in Mohali, on Thursday.
With Pakistan chasing 136 for victory, the 39-year-old left arm spinner showed his class with a match-winning six for 43 in the second innings for a match haul of 11 wickets.
England debutant Toby Roland-Jones wreaked havoc as he picked four wickets to have South Africa reeling at 126 for 8 at stumps on Day 2 of the third Test at the Oval on Friday.
For the first time in a decade, South Africa have been forced to acknowledge they are on the decline following back-to-back series losses to India and England that have knocked them off the top of the Test rankings.
Rabada, the number one ranked Test bowler, could still play if he succeeds in his appeal against an International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to award him three demerit points for his reaction to dismissing Steve Smith in the second Test.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo admitted that his team fell apart whenever the Indians applied the pressure on them during the ongoing Test series.
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