South Africa win test series against india by 1-0

South Africa beat India by 10 wickets in win series 1-0

 NEW DELHI: Chasing a meager 58, South Africa were 19/0 in their second innings before slipping into tea break on the final day of the second Test in Durban.

Jacques Kallis Retirment from Test Cicket

Jacques Kallis bids adieu to Test cricket

DURBAN: Jacques Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders of the game, today bid adieu to Test cricket after an illustrious 18-year career in a fairytale script as he hit a century in his swansong match in South Africa's 10-wicket thrashing of India on Monday.

Jacques Kallis on last Test hundred

 

Jacques Kallis says Special feeling to get hundred in last Test

DURBAN: South Africa's Jacques Kallis got a fairytale hundred against India in his farewell Test and the retiring all-rounder said it was a "special feeling" to reach the three-figure mark in his final appearance in the five-day game for the Proteas.

India all out in 2nd inning South Africa need 58 to win

Rahane misses ton, South Africa need 58 to win 

 Ajinkya Rahane was bowled out by Vernon Philander for 96 as India were bundled out for 223 in their second innings, giving South Africa a target of 58 runs, in the second Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Monday.

Jacques Kallis hits a century in his last Test

Jacques Kallis hits a century in his last Test

Jacques Kallis marked the end of his test career with an emotive farewell century on Sunday to give South Africa a chance of victory over India going into the last day of their brief two-match series.

Jacques Kallis gets guard of honour from Indian Players

Jacques Kallis gets guard of honour from Indian Players

Retiring all-rounder and one of the greats of the game, Jacques Kallis, was given a guard of honour by the Indian team in his 166th and final Test match at Kingsmead, Durban on Saturday. Kallis walked out to bat with South Africa on 113 for two (live updates) and the Indian team arranged themselves in two lines with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm.

Ind vs SA Day 1 India score 181/1 before bad light stop

Ind vs SA Day 1 India score 181/1 before bad light stop

DURBAN: Opener Murali Vijay marked his return to form with a fluent unbeaten 91 as India gained early control of the series-deciding second Test against South Africa with a solid batting display on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Vijay, who had not managed to get a big score for some time now, was just nine runs short of what could be his fourth Test century as the visitors reached a comfortable 181/1 before bad light stopped play at the Kingsmead.

India 76/1 at lunch on Day 1 India vs South Africa 2nd test

India 76/1 at lunch on Day 1 India vs South Africa 2nd test 

    

NEW DELHI: Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara took the Indian first innings score to 76/1 on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.

Morne Morkel gave South Africa their first breakthrough when he dismissed Shikhar Dhawan.

After electing to bat first, India got off to decent start courtesy Dhawan and Murali Vijay who looked determined to face the South Africa pacers by putting up a bright 41-run stand for the opening wicket.

India elect to bat - India vs South Africa in 2nd Test

 India elect to bat - India vs South Africa in 2nd Test

NEW DELHI: Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat against South Africa in the series-deciding second and final Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.
India make one change for this match as they bring in Ravindra Jadeja in place of R Ashwin. On the other hand, South Africa bring in Robin Peterson for Imran Tahir

Sunil Gavaskar says, on india vs south africa test series

Sunil Gavaskar says, on india vs south africa test series 

Former India skipper and  cricket expert Sunil Gavaskar says that India have the upper hand ahead of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Durban.

"India will be more confident than South Africa ahead of the Durban Test. India have done well at Durban, so South Africa will be a little nervous," said Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar also felt that there was no need for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to tinker around with his team composition."India must go in with six batsmen and one wicketkeeper. There is no need to make any changes in the bowling," he said.

Talking about Jacques Kallis' decision to retire after the India series, Gavaskar said he was very much surprised by Kallis' call.

"To be very honest, his decision to retire has surprised me," he said.

When a veteran like Kallis decides to quit, comparisons with legends of different eras are bound to crop up. Gavaskar, however, has said that he would not do that, while reacting to the parallels being drawn between the South African veteran and West Indian legend Sir Garfield Sobers.

"I would not compare Jacques Kallis with Sir Garfield Sobers or any other players from different eras," Gavaskar said.

South Africa fail in record run chase

South Africa fail in record run chase

 

South Africa fell eight runs short of a world-record run chase but secured a draw in the first Test against India in Johannesburg by finishing on 450-7.

The hosts began the final day on 138-2 in pursuit of 458 to win the first match of a two-Test series.

A 205-run fifth-wicket partnership between Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers gave them hope of victory.
But De Villiers was bowled by Ishant Sharma for 103, before Du Plessis was run out for 134 with 19 balls left.
In between those dismissals, JP Duminy was out for five after he chopped on to his stumps from Mohammed Shami.
That left Dale Steyn to bat out the final three overs with Vernon Philander, with the world number one Test team still retaining hopes of a remarkable win against the side ranked second.
A maiden over each from Zaheer Khan and Shami effectively ended those hopes, although Steyn left the hosts wondering what might have been by smashing a six off the final ball of the match.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith defended the decision of his batsmen to play for the draw.

Highest successful Test match fourth-innings run chases

• 418: West Indies v Australia, 4th Test, St John's, 9 May 2003
• 414: South Africa v Australia, 1st Test, Perth, 17 Dec 2008
• 406: India v West Indies, 3rd Test, Port of Spain, 7 Apr 1976
• 404: Australia v England, 4th Test, Headingley, 22 Jul 1948
• 387: India v England, 1st Test, Chennai, 11 Dec 2008
• 369: Australia v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Hobart, 18 Nov 1999

He said: "The knocks that AB and Faf played, everybody would have been saying what an incredible effort.

"We mustn't lose sight of that in the emotion. You understand the emotional side. I think the context was that it was an unbelievable Test match. I don't think too many people gave us a chance [of drawing].''
India batsman Virat Kohli was surprised to see South Africa limit their ambitions to a draw.
He said: "Everyone was pretty shocked, honestly. We didn't think they'd stop going for that score."
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history remains the 418 scored by West Indies to beat Australia in 2003.
South Africa's total was the third-highest ever scored in a Test match fourth innings. New Zealand scored 451 at Christchurch in 2002 in losing to England, who hit 654-5 in a draw with South Africa at Durban in 1939.

 

South Africa draw the first Test against India in Johannesburg

South Africa draw the first Test against India in Johannesburg

 South Africa fell eight runs short of a world-record run chase but secured a draw in the first Test against India in Johannesburg by finishing on 450-7.

 

India's Virat Kohli

The hosts began the final day on 138-2 in pursuit of 458 to win the first match of a two-Test series.

A 205-run fifth-wicket partnership between Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers gave them hope of victory.
But De Villiers was bowled by Ishant Sharma for 103, before Du Plessis was run out for 134 with 19 balls left.
In between those dismissals, JP Duminy was out for five after he chopped on to his stumps from Mohammed Shami.
That left Dale Steyn to bat out the final three overs with Vernon Philander, with the world number one Test team still retaining hopes of a remarkable win against the side ranked second.
A maiden over each from Zaheer Khan and Shami effectively ended those hopes, although Steyn left the hosts wondering what might have been by smashing a six off the final ball of the match.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith defended the decision of his batsmen to play for the draw.

He said: "The knocks that AB and Faf played, everybody would have been saying what an incredible effort.

"We mustn't lose sight of that in the emotion. You understand the emotional side. I think the context was that it was an unbelievable Test match. I don't think too many people gave us a chance [of drawing].''
India batsman Virat Kohli was surprised to see South Africa limit their ambitions to a draw.
He said: "Everyone was pretty shocked, honestly. We didn't think they'd stop going for that score."
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history remains the 418 scored by West Indies to beat Australia in 2003.
South Africa's total was the third-highest ever scored in a Test match fourth innings. New Zealand scored 451 at Christchurch in 2002 in losing to England, who hit 654-5 in a draw with South Africa at Durban in 1939.

South Africa 138/2 against India at stumps on Day 4

 JOHANNESBURG: The first Test between India and South Africa seemed headed for an exciting finish with the hosts needing to score 320 runs with eight wickets remaining on a tricky last day to pull off a record-breaking victory.

Set a stiff target of 458 for victory after India scored 421 in their second innings, the hosts put up a better batting display to reach 138 for two at close on the penultimate day on Saturday on a Wanderers track which seemed to have eased out quite a bit.

Alviro Petersen (76 batting) and Faf du Plessis (10 batting) were at the crease at stumps on another absorbing day's play which has set the stage for a thrilling finish with all three results a possibility.

A South African victory looks remote at this stage as no team has ever successfully chased down a target of 458 in Test history so far. The highest successful run chase in Test cricket has been achieved by West Indies who scored 418 for seven to beat Australia in St Johns in 2003.

With the pitch showing no signs of any rapid deterioration, the Indians may find the going tough to push for a 1-0 series lead on the final day's play on Sunday, considering that the Proteas have a strong batting line-up.

The Proteas, on the other hand, will look to bat out the entire day to avoid the embarrassment of a defeat at home.

Resuming at the overnight score of 284 for two, the Indians rode on the marathon 222-run partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (153) and Virat Kohli (96) for the third wicket to take a substantial lead.

The 222-run partnership was the highest stand for third wicket in a Test match second innings overseas. They bettered the long-standing record of 211 runs for the third wicket between Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare at the Lord's in 1952.

Kohli was unlucky to miss out on a twin century as he was out for 96 in the opening session after hitting 119 in India's first innings.

South Africa's paceman Morne Morkel had twisted his ankle on Day three and it's doubtful if he will bat on Sunday, if at all required.

Earlier, after India were all out for 421 in the post-lunch session, captain Graeme Smith (44) and Peterson carefully negotiated the opening salvo from visiting bowlers for an hour to take the home side to 38 for no loss at tea.

Smith was nearly out in the third over of the innings, playing Zaheer off his pads towards leg gully where Virat Kohli nearly held on to a tough chance, getting his fingers to the ball. The South African captain was on one at that time.

Smith and Petersen batted in the same resolute manner after tea also, watching the incoming balls carefully and scoring runs whenever the bowlers strayed onto their pads.

To the Indian bowlers' credit, they bowled a lot better line than their counterparts managed all day. The trio of Zaheer Khan (9-0-29-0), Ishant Sharma (9-0-28-0) and Mohammed Shami (8-1-30-1) went past their bats on numerous occasions, unlucky to get a breakthrough in the first hour of play in the final session.

The two South African openers added 54 runs, with Petersen completing his half century in the 18th over. He contributed the majority of runs in the first-wicket partnership as Smith slowly built his innings. He was definitely more edgy of the two batsmen, with R Ashwin (16-3-40-0) nearly bowling him in the 23rd over and then Zaheer almost getting an edge in the 26th.

Notably, Ashwin bowled 16 out of the 45 overs sent down in the final session, pointing to the fact that the pitch may have something on the final day on Sunday.

In the 30th over, they reached the 100-run mark with worrisome faces on the Indian team. But Ajinkya Rahane eased their tensions when he ran out Smith with a direct hit in the next over. Smith hit six boundaries in his 73-ball innings.

Ten runs later, their number three batsman, Hashim Amla (4) was out just like in the first innings, out-bowled leaving a delivery from Shami, when he should have been playing at it.

Du Plessis was sent ahead of Jacques Kallis, owing to his lack of runs. It became cloudy thereafter and the Indians tried every trick to keep the opposition batting, with Murali Vijay (1-0-3-0) and skipper Dhoni (2-0-4-0) coming on to bowl, as Virat Kohli kept wickets. Dhoni even kept wickets without his protective pads to hurry the overs in.

Earlier in the opening session, Pujara slammed 153 while Kohli missed out on an opportunity to score centuries in both innings by four runs.

The two batsmen put on 222 runs for the third wicket to set the hosts a daunting fourth innings' target of 458 runs for a win at the Wanderers stadium.

The 222-run partnership for the third wicket between Pujara and Kohli was the highest stand for third wicket for India in a Test second innings overseas. They beat the long standing record of Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare, 211 versus England at Lord's in 1952.

Pujara and Kohli began the day on individual scores of 135 and 77, and team score of 284 for 2. The Proteas immediately took the new ball when it became due and the run-scoring did slow down as a result, but the milestones never stopped.

The 300 for India, in this second innings, came in the 85th over, while Pujara completed his 150 two overs later. This was the fourth time in his 16-Test career so far that he had gone past this individual score in an innings. He looked good for a bigger one, but the need to get runs quickly meant that he played an uncharacteristic cut stroke off a Jacques Kallis delivery, which was close to his body.

Kohli, meanwhile, carried on, even as Rohit Sharma (6) suffered another failure. He was bowled by Kallis in the 94th over, off an in-swinging delivery that stayed low. The big wicket for South Africa came when Kohli went on the backfoot for a cut off Duminy, in the 99th over of the innings, and was out caught behind. He was flustered with his dismissal, even so walked off to a standing ovation.
Dhoni then Ajinkya Rahane to muster some quick runs. They added 31 runs for the sixth wicket. But Rahane (15) fell at the stroke of lunch, out caught at slip off Duminy. India went to lunch with a hearty lead, placed at 358 for 6. 

South Africa should host Olympics as Mandela tribute

Nelson Mandela: Call to give South Africa the Olympics as tribute

South Africa should be chosen as host for the Olympics as a tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela, according to their first athlete to win an Olympic medal in the post-apartheid era.

Elana Meyer, now 47, won a silver in the 10,000m at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, becoming the first South African athlete to claim a medal since their re-admission to the Olympic movement.
She was denied the chance to compete at Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988 by South Africa's exclusion from competition after the 1960 Games, but believes the influence of Mandela, who died last week, aged 95, was crucial from the moment he emerged from 27 years of imprisonment in 1990.

Mandela's coffin arrived in his ancestral home in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, on Saturday ahead of his state funeral on Sunday.

"If the Olympic Games can come to Africa and South Africa it will be in honour of Madiba [Mandela's tribal name]. I think it's time. It's Africa's time. It would be a fitting way to honour a great leader," said Meyer, talking on Sportshour on the BBC World Service.
"Nelson Mandela played such a significant part in my life. The moment that he was released from prison in 1990 I knew things would change. That really gave me the hope and inspiration that I might have the chance to compete internationally. Barcelona came at just the right time. I was 25 then and certainly I could not have waited a moment later."
Meyer regards the moment she met Mandela during the 1992 Games as one of her career highlights, and says it lifted the whole South African Olympic team.
"It was very special when I met Madiba in the Olympic village in 1992," she said. "He came to wish the team well and the whole team were inspired by his presence and his words. It was a magical moment.
"You could feel the pressure. We only came out of isolation three months before the Games, it's not like I had a wealth of experience racing at that level, and people's expectations were high.
"There was a lot of focus and not just on your athletic performance, but it was still an amazing privilege to be [one of] those first athletes in 30 years to walk onto the track and [I was] inspired by his presence."
Despite the high expectations, Meyer fought through a strong field, which included Britain's Liz McColgan, then the world champion, and eventual winner Derartu Tulu, from Ethiopia, to finish second and win South Africa's first Olympic medal since 1960.
"I didn't get a gold medal, but it was certainly a victory for many many South Africans," she recalled. "That's what I was celebrating. It was the end of years of isolation."
After the race, she embarked on a lap of honour with Tulu, walking hand in hand around the track. It was one of the most enduring images from that Olympics - a black Ethiopian carrying her national flag and a white South African clutching the Olympic flag.
She said: "It was a spontaneous celebration and I probably didn't realise at that moment, but it turned out to be really significant. Even today people keep telling me where they were at that moment."
That medal, and the iconic image of her with Tulu, convinced the Western Cape runner that Mandela's vision for South Africa could be achieved.
"Coming back to South Africa, I was blown away by the reception from South Africans across the board," she added.
"'Soweto loves Elana'... I mean it was still two years before we got a democratic government. It was an incredible and unexpected period for me. It gave me hope that we did have great potential as the rainbow nation."

De Villiers now heads both the Test and ODI batting tables

DUBAI: Star batsman Virat Kohli lost his top position to AB de Villiers while most of his teammates, barring skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also slipped in the latest ICC one-day rankings issued after the 0-2 series loss to South Africa.


India, in fact, dropped two ratings points but held on to the top spot with 120 ratings points despite the 0-2 loss in the three-match series, while South Africa continued to be in fifth place with 110 ratings points, with a gain of three points.

Dhoni remained static at sixth but Shikhar Dhawan was down a rung to 10th, while Rohit Sharma found himself 18th after losing three spots. Suresh Raina, who was 19th in the previous list, is now out of top 20 and is currently placed at 23rd.

In the bowling charts, Ravindra Jadeja was pushed to the 7th spot, a loss of four positions, while Ravichandran Ashwin ended up 17th after slipping three rungs.

For South Africa, leading the way is de Villiers, who had started the series in second spot behind India's Virat Kohli, trailing by 17 ratings points on the rankings for ODI batsmen.

But now de Villiers at 872 has not only regained the number-one rank, he has also opened up a 13 ratings points lead over Kohli.

De Villiers, who scored 189 runs in three completed innings during the series, was the second highest run-getter on either side with a top score of 109 in the final match.

De Villiers, who was named in both the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year in 2013, now heads both the Test and ODI batting tables. De Villiers had also been shortlisted for the LG People's Choice Award this year.

De Villiers is the third batsman from South Africa after Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla to head the Test and ODI batting tables at the same time, and the ninth player overall. Amla achieved the distinction in February this year when he topped the charts after the Johannesburg Test against Pakistan.

Amla, on the other hand, has moved up a place to third in the batting list.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Quinton de Kock has made the biggest gain in the latest rankings following his three successive hundreds in the series, jumping 61 places to a career-best 14th with a best-ever 672 ratings points.

De Kock became only the fifth batsman in history to score three successive ODI hundreds, to thereby end as the highest run-getter in the series with 342 runs.

Outside the top 20, the batsmen to move up include JP Duminy in 24th (up by three), David Miller in 45th (up by 12) and Ravindra Jadeja in 71st (up by one).

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has continued his upward move in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Steyn has moved up three positions to second after claiming six wickets in the two ODIs that he played.

Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal continues to be number-one ranked on the rankings for ODI bowlers.

The other two South Africa bowlers inside the top 10 are Lonwabo Tsotsobe in eighth (up by two) and Morne Morkel in ninth.

Meanwhile, Ryan McLaren has entered the top 20 of the bowling ranking for the first time, as he moved up two places to sit in 20th.

Outside the top 20, the bowlers to advance up the rankings include Mohammed Shami in 43rd (up by seven) and Ishant Sharma in 51st (up by 16).