Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is of the opinion that India's home series against Sri Lanka served little purpose ahead of the gruelling tour of South Africa.
Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said there are quite a few positives to pick despite the drubbing handed out by South Africa in the first two Tests.
Former cricketer Ajit Wadekar blamed the lack of time for Team India to acclimatise in South Africa for their humiliating Test series loss to the Proteas.
Debutant Lungi Ngidi took six wickets as South Africa defeated India by 135 runs for victory in the second Test in Pretoria on Wednesday and also claim the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest.
Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha was, on Tuesday, ruled out of the third and final Test against South Africa due to a hamstring injury and will be replaced by Dinesh Karthik in the squad.
Realising that a 'taxing' calendar can drain you completely, rising Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma is now focussing on improving his mental toughness ahead of the new season, during which he is set to make his Major debut.
'We wanted one big partnership to get the job done, which we failed to do'
Seamer Vernon Philander took career-best figures as rampant South Africa claimed a 72-run victory over India in a gripping first Test at Newlands on Monday.
Australia had entered the series in fifth position on 97 points, while England were in the third slot on 105 points.
South Africa seamer Dale Steyn grabbed his first Test wicket after an injury absence of 14 months as the hosts fought back against a fired-up India on an enthralling first day of cut-and-thrust cricket in the opening Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.
Virat Kohli and Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara held on to their second and seventh position respectively
IMAGES from Day 4 of the fourth Test between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg on Monday
India's long winning streak in Test cricket is under threat in a quick-fire three match series against South Africa this month, where their status as the top ranked nation in the format faces a stiff examination.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the fourth Test between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg on Sunday.
South Africa's Temba Bavuma was left stranded on 95 not out as they tightened their grip over scandal-hit Australia after reducing the hapless visitors to 110 for six at the close on the second day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.
Opener Aiden Markram led the way with a career-best 152 as South Africa had the better of the opening day of the fourth Test against a much-changed Australia, reaching the close on 313 for six on Friday.
It was not long ago that Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine was considering giving up the game entirely. Now he is set to captain the team as they look to pick up the pieces following the ball-tampering scandal.
Lehmann accepted ultimate responsibility for the culture of the team.
'I take full responsibility ... There was a failure of leadership, of my leadership. I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it's caused.'
Though some sponsors of Australian cricketers have pulled individual sponsorship deals, the decision by Magellan suggests the financial impact of the episode will go to the core of a sport seen by many Australians as the embodiment of fairness.
Sacked Australia captain Steve Smith and David Warner have both been banned for 12 months for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.
It will be difficult for Australia's besmirched cricketers to reclaim their reputations when the dust settles on the ball-tampering scandal but the episode is nonetheless a chance for the team to reclaim some of its lost principles and values, feels former batsman Michael Hussey.
The disgraced Australian duo of Steve Smith and David Warner is not just staring at an ouster from IPL but is also also facing the prospect of missing the India series later this year, as speculations over a length ban for ball tampering gained credence.
Cheteshwar Pujara is the first Indian batsman to post three hundreds in Tests in 2013 and is of the opinion that his side has enough runs on the board to press for a win on the final day in the first cricket Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
The incident has been met with astonishment in Australia, with the protagonists -- Smith, his vice captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft -- lambasted in the media under headlines almost universally trumpeting the word "Shame".
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Sushil Kumar made a glorious return to the international arena by clinching a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday.
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The 21-year-old Sharma led for the final two rounds after a scintillating 61 on Friday and had 11 holes to complete after lightning, rain and hail forced the event into an extra day.
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"Definitely, we all do believe that we have the team that can do well in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England. It is important to start well. The preparations part will be really important as it will provide us with the momentum," Rahane said at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai.
'Some shots that he is playing on this pitch are very difficult for any other batsman to execute.'
Set to lead India's pace attack in the upcoming T20 International tri-series in Sri Lanka, Jaydev Unadkat wants to use the opportunity to stake a claim in the ODI squad with an eye on the 50-overs World Cup next year.
His records are a true measure of the skill and brilliance he brought to the crease, says Rajneesh Gupta.
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The Indian women's cricket team would be aiming for quick recovery from a rare setback when it takes on South Africa in the fourth Twenty20 International, where a win would give the visitors an unbeatable series lead, in Centurion, on Wednesday.
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