SA vs IND |1st Test, Day 4: Proteas strike twice but Kohli, Pujara extend India’s lead beyond 200

South Africa managed to pick up two wickets early on the fourth day despite not bowling well according to the nature of the pitch and conditions and sent back both the overnight batsmen KL Rahul and Shardul Thakur.

They also created the opportunity to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara but Kagiso Rabada split an easy chance at short mid-on and he got a big reprieve. The next man in, Virat Kohli looked good during his stay at the crease and both he and Pujara cashed in on the boundary-scoring opportunity to keep the scoreboard moving.

India have managed to extend their lead to 209 runs by the end of the first session on the penultimate day of the game and Kohli would look to take the attack to the opposition to take his side to a big total.

There are rain forecasts for tomorrow and hence the visitors will be looking to mount a big score for the Proteas to chase. They would hope to press on in the afternoon session for more runs and push Proteas under pressure.

Discover more

BBL 11 | Brisbane Heat score their lowest total; put up just 105 after choosing to bat first

Playing their seventh match of the season, Brisbane Heat were bowled out for just 105 runs in Sydney on Wednesday, 29 December. Up against the Sydney Sixers, Heat chose to bat first on a used SCG track, hoping to make the best out of it. Things went sideways very quickly against the quality of left-right seaming combination of Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis who ran through the batting line up in the first 10 overs, reducing the batting line up to 21/4 inside the powerplay. After swinging early in the first couple of overs, the seamers made full use of the slow track to trap batsmen with cutters bowled into the surface. Sixers were very good with their catching as well. In the first XI for the first time this season Shadab Khan did not return with any wickets, but the pace battery of Abbot, Dwarshuis, Hayden Kerr and veteran Daniel Christian picked 9 wickets between them to wrap Heat up in 19.1 overs.

BBL 11 | Sean Abbot takes 'catch of the summer' to dismiss Chris Lynn

Sydney Sixers were on top at their home game against the Brisbane Heats toppling their top order early on Wednesday, 29 December. The second placed team in the Big Bash League, Sixers, gave Heat absolutely no chance with some wonderful bowling from the pace attack, led by Ben Dwarshius. On a slow Sydney pitch, the batsmen found it difficult to negotiate Dwarshuis’ swing and were reduced to 46/6 by the 11th over. However, the dismissal that got talked about the most on the day was of Chris Lynn. The hard hitter while looking to tee off got out to an absolute stunner from Sean Abbot. While Abbot did take two wickets to play an equally important part in the downfall of the Heat, in Lynn’s case, he was on the business end of grabbing an incredible one handed stunner. Standing at cover, Abbot grabbed a hard backfoot punch from Lymm that was always destined to reach the boundary. He flung himself to his right and picked up an unlikely chance making the commentators go into a frenzy. The box called it the ‘catch of the summer’ and one of the best that they have seen in the BBL 11.

Super Smash 2021-21 | Match Review: Lockie Ferguson & George Worker gift Auckland fans early New Year's gift

The Aces defeated the grappling Volts in a one-sided match on December 29, 2021, at John Davies Oval in Queenstown. With 17 balls to spare, they won the match by eight wickets.

The Ashes | Australia legend baffled with England’s approach to Test cricket

Ashes winning captain Ricky Ponting has been baffled with England’s approach to Test cricket in the ongoing 5-match series. "All their planning, their thoughts and their structures have just been completely wrong, and it's come back to bite them," said an irritated Ponting after the end of the third Test match in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was referring to England’s choice of playing XI in the first Test match, where both James Anderson and Stuart Broad were benched despite being fit. While it was speculated by the English media that the two veterans are being kept fresh for the pink ball Test match in Adelaide, Ponting argued that at any point in time, a team should not begin a Test match without their best players. "Pick your best team from the start and then see how far that group can take you. The fact that Anderson and Broad didn't play in Brisbane is staggering." He also called out Joe Root’s decision to bat first in overcast conditions at The Gabba. "The fact that Joe Root didn't bowl first in Brisbane was staggering. The fact that Mark Wood didn't play in Adelaide was staggering. He looked like one of the most likely bowlers up in Brisbane." "All their planning, their thoughts and their structures have just been completely wrong, and it's come back to bite them," Ponting said. Ponting has not been a fan of Root’s captaincy for a while and had found his choices of words amusing after the England captain blamed his bowlers for the loss at Adelaide.