Team South Africa

November 18, 2025 10:01 AM

South Africa coach lauds Bavuma as one of the best in the world

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad hailed captain Temba Bavuma as one of the best batters in the world over the past two years after his gutsy match-winning innings at Eden Gardens secured a 30-run win in the first test against hosts India. Bavuma remains unbeaten in his 11 tests as skipper, winning 10 of them to go with a draw, and in that period has averaged 57.00 with the bat. His unbeaten 55 on a treacherous wicket in the second innings on Sunday helped his side set a modest victory target o...

November 17, 2025 1:08 PM

Team India confronts batting blind spot after Kolkata pitch boomerangs

India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening test against South Africa. On a treacherous Eden Gardens' pitch, the ball bounced irregularly and turned sharply and none of the teams posted 200. Touring captain Temba Bavuma's unbeaten 55 was the highest score by any batter. India, a batter short as skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt in the first innings with a...

November 16, 2025 5:19 PM

1st Test: Gambhir defends Kolkata pitch, Bavuma savours special knock

India coach Gautam Gambhir said there was no "demons in the pitch" despite his team's spectacular meltdown in the low-scoring opening test against South Africa on Sunday. Chasing 124 for victory, India folded for 93 on a minefield of a pitch where South Africa captain Temba Bavuma scored the only half-century of the match that finished inside three days. On an Eden Gardens surface where sharp spin and inconsistent bounce meant even the set batters could not convert their starts into big knocks...

November 16, 2025 2:47 PM

1st Test: Harmer spins South Africa to thrilling win against India

Off-spinner Simon Harmer led South Africa's lion-hearted bowling effort as the Proteas registered a thrilling 30-run victory against India inside three days of the low-scoring opening test on Sunday. Harmer claimed 4-21 as India, chasing 124 for victory, folded for 93 in a remarkable batting meltdown in front of the nearly 40,000-strong crowd at Eden Gardens. Earlier, Temba Bavuma dragged South Africa back into the contest with an innings of tremendous grit. Having conceded a first-innings le...

November 16, 2025 3:25 PM

India vs South Africa: Shubman Gill out of Kolkata test with neck injury

India captain Shubman Gill will not take any further part in the ongoing opening test against South Africa after he was forced to retire hurt with a neck injury in the first innings, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Sunday. Gill hit a four before walking off the field rubbing his neck and did not bat again as India posted 189 in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 159. He was subsequently taken to a hospital and was under observation, the BCCI said. "He will take no further ...

November 14, 2025 9:48 AM

South Africa bat first vs India but Rabada out with injury

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma elected to bat after winning the toss for the opening test against India on Friday, but the visitors will be without Kagiso Rabada at Eden Gardens as the pace spearhead misses out due to a rib injury. Seam bowling all-rounder Corbin Bosch replaces Rabada. "It's on the dry side, not much grass," said Bavuma, who is returning to the side after a calf injury. "It's a typical Indian wicket. First-innings runs is the key." India picked a four-pronged spin attack w...

November 12, 2025 12:07 PM

Team India banks on old recipe of spin and first-innings heft against South Africa

India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday. Shubman Gill's side sit third in the World Test Championship rankings after beginning their 2025-27 cycle with a 2-2 draw in England followed by a 2-0 sweep at home against West Indies. Reigning world champions South Africa forced a 1-1 draw in Pakistan but the squad, despite being bolstered by the return of their fit-ag...

November 2, 2025 9:49 AM

Women’s Cricket World Cup: History at stake as India and South Africa battle for maiden title

The Women's Cricket World Cup is set to crown a new champion on Sunday, when hosts India take on South Africa, as both teams look to culminate their month-long, nine-match campaign with a maiden global championship. India are two-time finalists in the One-Day International world championship, having lost the 2005 and 2017 titles to Australia and England. They also lost the Women's Twenty20 World Cup final to Australia in 2020. South Africa are playing a World Cup final for the third year in a ...

October 27, 2025 2:54 PM

Bavuma back to captain South Africa for tests in India

Captain Temba Bavuma will return to the South Africa test squad for a two-match series against India next month after a calf injury kept him out of the series in Pakistan this month. Bavuma will lead a 15-man squad for tests in Kolkata from November 14-18 and Guwahati from November 22-26. Bavuma replaces David Bedingham, who is dropped, while the only other change to the touring party to Pakistan sees spinner Prenelan Subrayen drop out of the squad. “We’ve kept the bulk of the squad that ...

September 15, 2025 12:34 PM

Rain has final say as England and South Africa share T20 series

The third and final Twenty20 International between England and South Africa was abandoned without a ball being bowled at Trent Bridge on Sunday as rain had the final say in the series that finishes 1-1. South Africa claimed a rain-reduced five-over contest by 14 runs in the opening game in Cardiff on Wednesday, before England registered a record 146-run win in the second fixture in Manchester on Friday as Phil Salt scored an unbeaten 141. That result set up a grand finale on Sunday, but persis...