Amidst a shocking collapse from Sri Lanka, South Africa's left-arm pacer Marco Jansen stole the show on Day 2 of the first Test in Durban. Jansen claimed career-best figures of 7/13 in just 6.5 overs, with support from Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada who took two and one wicket respectively. Sri Lanka suffered a major setback as five of their batsmen fell for ducks, with their first innings lasting just 13.5 overs.
Captain Temba Bavuma has declared that the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan will serve as "like cup finals" as South Africa aims to secure a place in the World Test Championship showpiece. A series sweep against both opponents could potentially put them in contention for the final at Lord's in June. With Bavuma's return from injury and the inclusion of young seamers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, the Proteas are confident in their all-out attack and plan to stick to the tactics that have brought them success. However, Sri Lanka, also vying for a spot in the final, will provide tough competition and have shown their proficiency against fast bowling.
The fourth T20I between India and South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg saw a dominant performance from India, with Sanju Samson's sixes leading the way to a victory. Moderate tactics from Gerald Coetzee were no match for Samson's hard-hitting, with the Indian team securing runs with fours and sixes. As the first over starts, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma will be in the lineup for Team India while South Africa's Marco Jansen takes on the first ball.
Varun Chakravarthy, who recorded his career-best figures of 5 for 17 in the second T20I against South Africa, credited his coach Gautam Gambhir for his success. After a three-year gap from international cricket, Chakravarthy regained his form thanks to Gambhir's role clarity and guidance. Though India lost the match, Chakravarthy's spell of 5 wickets added to India's 11-match winning streak before the gritty partnership of Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee led South Africa to victory.
RP Singh, former India cricket player, criticized all-rounder Hardik Pandya for not taking singles during the second T20I between India and South Africa. Despite Varun Chakravarthy's five-wicket haul, India lost the match by three wickets due to a match-winning partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee. Singh believes Pandya's lack of belief in his batting and failure to take singles cost India the match, making the four-match series leveled at 1-1.
South Africa's bowlers restrict India to a total of 124 runs, with Hardik Pandya being the top scorer with 39 runs. Varun Chakaravarthy's 5 for 17 spell wasn't enough as Stubbs and Coetzee's partnership secures a win for South Africa. India's batting struggled, with the exception of Pandya, as they lost their openers and skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Despite a close game, South Africa emerged victorious with a 4 wicket win.
In a thrilling second T20I match between South Africa and India, the Proteas managed to beat the Indian team by 3 wickets, thanks to an unbeaten stand of 42 runs by Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee. Despite facing difficulties against India's spinners, Stubbs and Coetzee played a calculated and determined attack to secure the win. Varun Chakaravarthy's impressive performance for India, including a maiden T20I fifer, unfortunately ended up being in vain as South Africa won the match and levelled the series 1-1.
India suffered a three-wicket loss to South Africa in a nail-biting second T20I, with a resilient performance from Tristan Stubbs securing the victory for the Proteas. Despite Varun Chakravarthy's impressive fifer, South Africa's batting duo of Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee held on to guide their team to victory and end India's winning streak. Chakravarthy's superb spell of bowling added drama to the match, but it was not enough to stop the home side from clinching the win.
Things got heated during the first T20I between India and South Africa when wicketkeeper Sanju Samson and South African bowler Marco Jansen got into an argument on the pitch. India captain Suryakumar Yadav quickly rushed in to diffuse the situation, but not before his IPL teammate, South African bowler Gerald Coetzee, could join in. Despite the tension, India emerged victorious, thanks to Samson's impressive back-to-back century and a strong showing from the spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi. The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
January 2024 marked the beginning of IPL 2024 and the fifth time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) kicked off their season with a historic debut of Anshul Kamboj. The 23-year-old all-rounder from Haryana replaced overseas player Gerald Coetzee in the playing XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With an impressive track record in first-class matches, List A and T20s, Kamboj's inclusion in the team was a smart move by the MI captain Hardik Pandya. Follow Khel Now Cricket for more updates on IPL 2024 Live Score & Points Table.