Duanne Olivier

Stand-in India captain KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bat in the second Test against South Africa, here on Monday.

Duanne Olivier was recovering from Covid-19 and had suffered a mild hamstring strain according to South African selection convener Victor Mpitsang explaining why he was omitted for the first Test against India at SuperSport Park.

Vihari struck his 15th first-class hundred as the hosts recovered from early jitters to consolidate their position reaching 322/4 at stumps on the opening day of the second four-day unofficial Test in Bengaluru.

India A Pacer Ankit Rajpoot grabbed two wickets to reduce South Africa A to 294 for 7 at stumps on a rain-marred day 3 as the second unofficial Test headed towards a draw on Sunday.

South Africa fast bowler Duanne Olivier has been ruled out of the three-match Test series against England after injuring his hamstring in the warm-up defeat to the England Lions this week.

South African quick Duanne Olivier, who played his first game for South Africa in nearly three years following his forced return from England, said playing the second Test versus India felt like a "debut game".

Fast bowler Duanne Olivier is expected to return to the South Africa line-up as the home side challenge visiting India in the first match of a three game series in the ICC World Test Championship at Centurion Park starting on Sunday.

Of the 584 runs scored by India 'A' in the first four-day match against South Africa 'A' earlier this week, the opening pair of Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw contributed 356 runs to the team total. But the script changed dramatically for the talented duo in the second and final match of the series, which began at the KSCA Alur (1) stadium on Friday.

Test skipper Virat Kohli was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa due to an upper-back spasm with KL Rahul taking the charge. The decision to make Rahul captain attracted mixed reactions from cricketers and fans. While some rued the absence of Kohli in the crucial Test, others lauded the Indian management for their bold decision.

KL Rahul, captaining India in the absence of Virat Kohli, made a patient half-century as his team struggled on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday.

Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson scored Test centuries, guiding New Zealand to a commanding position against South Africa. The Kiwis posted 258 for two with an unbroken stand of 219. South Africa bowled after winning the toss, and Tshepo Moreki dismissed Devon Conway in the second over. However, Ravindra and Williamson displayed resilience against accurate seam-bowling by South Africa's inexperienced attack.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith on Tuesday said his country will welcome back former Kolpak players willing to be part of the domestic structure as he sees it as a possible way to provide more depth to the national team.

South Africa's head coach, Shukri Conrad, has highlighted the lack of Test experience within the Proteas side as they prepare for a two-match series against New Zealand. The squad is weakened, with several first-choice players committed to domestic Twenty20 competitions. Eight players have not made their Test debut, including captain Neil Brand. Duanne Olivier, with 15 Test appearances, is the most experienced and is keen to rejuvenate a Test career hindered by injuries.

South African cricket is going through a transitional phase and therefore their 21-member squad for the three-match Test series vs India has more rookies than seasoned campaigners.

Duanne Olivier had actually framed his Test cap with no hopes of a national comeback but after a surprise recall to the South Africa squad, the right-arm seamer is ready for a battle against none other than Virat Kohli. The 29-year-old Oliver, who made his debut in 2017, had 48 wickets from 10 Test matches before he decided on taking the KOLPAK route to represent Yorkshire

India lead the three-match series against South Africa 1-0, having won the first Test by 113 runs. The second Test begins in Wanderes, Johannesburg, on Monday, January 3.

Under-fire senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane added a lifeline to their respective careers with crucial half-centuries but South Africa came back strongly in the second Test by reducing India to 188 for six at lunch on the third day.

South Africa's second-string Test squad is ready to face New Zealand in the first Test, with most of their regular players participating in the SA20 competition. Fast bowler Dane Paterson believes the low profile of their players might be advantageous. The 15-man squad, including eight uncapped players, is set to face a full-strength New Zealand side.

Starting the day at a comfortable 322/4, much was expected of the India 'A' middle and lower-order batsmen but they were blown away like a pack of cards by South Africa 'A' pacer Duanne Olivier (6/63) on the second day of the four-day match here on Saturday.

The Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras romped to an emphatic 10-wicket win against the Chevrolet Knights in a Momentum One-Day Cup match, at Boland Park, in Paarl (SA) on Sunday.