In a nail-biting first Test match of their two-match series, South Africa emerged victorious over Pakistan and secured their spot in the WTC final at Lord's next year. After a major collapse in their first innings, the Proteas were set a target of 148 which they chased down with the help of a valiant unbeaten stand by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. Despite Mohammad Abbas' six-wicket haul for Pakistan, South Africa held their nerves and secured their spot in the WTC final, leaving India's chances uncertain.
On his birthday, Jasprit Bumrah made history by becoming the first Indian pacer to take 50 Test wickets in a year, joining the ranks of Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan. He achieved this feat in just 11 Tests, playing a crucial role in India's success in both the Test and T20 formats. With 65 wickets in 19 matches, Bumrah is also the leading wicket-taker across all formats this year.
South African pacer Marco Jansen wreaked havoc on the Sri Lankan batting line up, picking up a stunning seven-wicket haul and leading his team to a convincing victory in the SA vs SL 1st Test. Sri Lanka recorded their lowest total in Test cricket, getting bowled out for just 42 runs. Jansen's spectacular performance dominated the match and proved to be too much for the struggling Sri Lankan team.
In a disastrous batting performance, the Sri Lankan cricket team collapsed to an all-time low of 42 runs on day two of the opening Test against South Africa. Proteas bowler Marco Jensen was the standout performer, bagging career-best figures of 7/13 to give his team a 149-run lead. With Sri Lanka in danger of losing their first-ever Test in Durban, the match holds even greater significance as both teams compete for a spot in the World Test Championship final.
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.
In the second day of the IPL mega auction, Punjab Kings grabbed South African pacer Marco Jansen for a whopping Rs seven crore, along with all-rounder Krunal Pandya for Rs 5.75 crore and batsman Nitish Rana for Rs 4.20 crore. Other notable players like Ajinkya Rahane, Kane Williamson, Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur did not receive any bids, highlighting the importance of strategic purchases in the competitive world of IPL auctions.
With the IPL mega auction just around the corner, teams will be vying for top overseas players such as Jos Buttler, Mitchell Starc, Marco Jansen, Mitchell Marsh, and Liam Livingstone. Buttler's batting prowess and leadership qualities make him a hot commodity, while Starc's thunderbolts and left-arm angle could fetch him a big bid. Youngsters like Jansen and Livingstone also have a chance to land lucrative deals with their impressive T20 performances. It remains to be seen which team will come out on top in the bidding war for these players.
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.
In the third T20I between India and South Africa, Sanju Samson was dismissed for a duck by Marco Jansen for the second time in a row. This has extended Samson's record for the most ducks in a calendar year by an Indian batter. He has now been dismissed without scoring on six occasions in T20Is and holds the record alongside legendary Rohit Sharma for the most ducks in T20Is for India.