With nothing to lose on the eve of his final international outing, Dean Elgar didn't hold back while expressing his disgust about Cricket South Africa sending a third-string squad to New Zealand under an uncapped captain just because the series is coinciding with the cash-rich SA20. It is a situation the 36-year-old Elgar, the stand-in captain for the second, and final, Test against India at Newlands, termed as "not ideal." "I still think Test cricket will have a future and in speaking to the younger guys in the dressing room, they still live for the format," Elgar said on Tuesday during his last pre-match conference. "The situation we've been put in from a cricketing fraternity perspective isn't ideal and maybe the team that's selected to go to New Zealand isn't ideal for the conversation of how I see Test cricket," Elgar was straightforward in his observations. Neil Brand will lead the Proteas team with seven uncapped players and none with even 10 Test experience against a strong
The SA 20 will start on January 10 while South Africa's tour of New Zeeland will begin on January 19 with the first Test in Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
It was an optional session at the Supersport Park but for India skipper Rohit Sharma, skipping the nets wasn't an option. Outfoxed by South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada in both innings of the opening Test, Rohit was present as skipper and batter in equal measure during a two-hour session. The Indian captain was focussed on facing Mukesh Kumar, who bowled only to Rohit for at least 45 minutes. While the fit-again Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin also bowled in the same nets, the Indian skipper's complete attention was on the one Test old Bengal seamer. Occasionally, Dayanand Garani, the throwdown specialist kept his deliveries fast and full on off stump channel. He actually wanted Mukesh to bowl one that comes in with the angle from length. "Hawa mein andaar aa raha hai. Par koshish kar angle se andar laane ka," the skipper told his younger colleague. Rohit specifically wanted Mukesh to pitch in between 4-6 metre length and the seamer seemed to have impressed the ..
Gerald Coetzee was not at his best in the first Test, picking just one wicket in both innings combined and scoring only 19 runs with the bat
India slipped to the fifth spot while Pakistan to the sixth as South Africa topped the World Test Championship 2023-25 points table
Proteas regular skipper Bavuma, who was injured in the first Test, has been replaced by Zubayr Hamza in the squad while Dean Elgar has been named skipper
India have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee and two ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points were docked. India are at the sixth spot in ICC World Test Championship points table (WTC) 2023-24
Jasprit Bumrah lacked support from other end as there was no reason to concede 400 plus runs on a bowling friendly track where South African speedsters showed how to go about the job, a dejected Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said on Thursday. India lost the opening Test inside three days by an innings and 32 runs after scoring 245 and 131 in the two innings but the game-changer certainly was being taken for 408 runs by South Africa in their first innings. Save Bumrah, who took four wickets and to an extent Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna got pasting of their lives. "This was not a 400-run wicket and we gave too many runs. We sprayed the ball all around, but it happens. One can't depend on one particular bowler (Bumrah), the other three pacers also needed to perform their roles, we could learn from how South Africa bowled," Rohit said after the match. He admitted that although there wasn't lack of effort but Bumrah couldn't alone keep the pressure on Proteas ...
Bavuma was injured during the first innings on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test when he was chasing a ball driven by Virat Kohli off the bowling of Jansen
India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 3 Highlights: Proteas beat the Indian team by an innings and 32 runs thanks to heroic works from Elgar (185), Rabada (7 wickets), Burger (7 wickets) and Jansen (84*)
Dean Elgar's school of batsmanship on Wednesday was completely out of character but the stodgy left-hander is more intent on bidding adieu to international cricket with a bang than trying to prove a point to anyone. Elgar's unbeaten 140, laced with 23 boundaries, has put South Africa in a commanding position against India on the second day but the man, playing his penultimate Test, felt it was all about enjoying a day that belonged to him. "I don't think I wanted to prove any point. Just that I wanted to go out with a bang as that is standard I set for myself as there's no looking back now," Elgar said about his 14th hundred. Elgar assessed that the track had become better for batting as there was no sunshine, which would have resulted in cracks on the surface but it held firm. "It was quite a good wicket to bat on. Had there been more sun, it would have been tougher. It's just that it's been my way. Could have been another batter another day." Normally known for his defensive dog
India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 3 weather forecast: Far more improved weather from the first two days of play will be on display on the third day in Centurion
India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 2 Highlights: Dean Elgar's 140* took South Africa to 256/5 at the end of the day in Centurion as they led the Indian team by 11 runs. KL Rahul scored a ton as well
Virat Kohli used the old Australian trick of changing the position of the bails and it helped India break the 93-run stand between de Zorzi and Elgar in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa
Dean Elgar brought up his 14th Test hundred in his last game at his home ground of SuperSport Park in Centurion. It came against India on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test
Before KL Rahul, no other overseas player hit two centuries at this venue where Tests have been played since 1995. Kl Rahul's 101 runs helped India post a respectable 245 on the board
India vs South Africa 1st Test, Day 1 Highlights: Only 59 overs of play was possible on the first day as Kagiso Rabada took a five-wicket haul and KL Rahul hit fifty as India remained 208/8
India vs South Africa 1st Test Day 2 weather forecast: It has been raining cats and dogs in Centurion since yesterday night, and the weather prediction for today is not encouraging either.
Temba Bavuma's further participation in the Boxing Day Test is in doubt
Kagiso Rabada ran through the Indian batting order in the BVoxing Day Test with a five-wicket haul