The South African batters reacted well in the chase of India's total, winning the second One-Day International in Paarl by 7 wickets on Friday (January 21). With this win, South Africa clinched the limited-overs series with one game to spare. South Africa will try to complete a sweep of India by winning the third match at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday (January 23). Oppositely, India will hope to restore some pride by avoiding a 3-0 defeat. The second ODI report between South Africa and India is discussed in this article.    South Africa vs India ODI Series 2022: Second Match Report Opener KL Rahul has led India's ODI team in the absence of Rohit Sharma. However, the KL Rahul-led team has been unable to formulate an effective strategy to shock the South African national side in the ongoing limited-overs series. India managed to put up a challenging total on the board in the second match, but they were unable to defend it thanks to some excellent batting efforts by the South African batters.   India’s Innings It was a do-or-die game for India in order to stay alive in the ODI series. India's bowling lineup includes renowned match-winners. Therefore, the Indian campaign put full faith in their bowling arsenal to defend a total of close to 300 runs. KL Rahul chose to bat first at Boland Park with this in mind.  Read T20 World Cup 2022: Bangladesh to Face India, Pakistan in the Super 12 Round The opening duo of KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan got India off to a good start with a 63-run partnership between them. India then loses two wickets in quick succession, including former captain Virat Kohli. However, this had no impact on India's progress, as the third-wicket partnership of Rahul and Pant carried the total to 179 in 31 overs. India's captain was dismissed by Sisanda Magala after playing a 55 off 79 balls knock. Rishabh Pant lost his wicket to spinner Tabraiz Shamsi one over later, but not before batting belligerently for 85 runs off 71 balls. India's lower middle-order batter Shardul Thakur (40*) and Ravichandran Ashwin (25*) played two crucial innings that ensured India a battling total to defend. Tabraiz Shamsi was South Africa's most successful bowler in the competition. He took two wickets for 57 runs in 9 overs.  Read BPL 2022: Meet the Six Captains South Africa’s Innings Pacer Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal bowled brilliantly, while the rest of the Indian bowlers failed to stop the South African batters from scoring. As a result, the South African batters faced no big challenges in chasing down India's 287. Janneman Malan (91) and Quinton de Kock (78) opened the innings for South Africa, putting on a 132-run partnership in just 22 overs. De Kock was more aggressive than Malan, scoring more than 100 strike rates.  South Africa's run chase became easier after a century stands in the first wicket. However, the Protea batters did not exhibit any unnecessary intent that may have resulted in them losing wickets in the crucial moments of the match. Temba Bavuma (35) and top scorer Janneman Malan (35) then formed a 70-run partnership to take the total to 212 in 35 overs.  Read Nahida Akter Takes Fifer as Bangladesh Thump Kenya in Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 India dismissed both Bavuma and Malan in the space of two overs, but South Africa eventually won the contest with 11 balls to spare thanks to an undefeated 74*-run partnership between Aiden Markram (37*) and Rassie van der Dussen (37*) in the fourth wicket. Bumrah, Chahal, and Shardul all took a wicket each for team India.      Player of the Match South Africa’s wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock was named player of the match for his destructive batting effort. South Africa got off to a solid start in the run chase thanks to De Kock's aggressive style of play.  Aftermath  India have already lost a Test series against South Africa earlier this month. Therefore, India's loss of an ODI series against South Africa is a huge blow. On the other hand, this South African team has exhibited an impressive fighting spirit against one of the top cricket nations in the world. Winning two consecutive series against India at home will surely boost the Proteas national side confidence. Oppositely, India will have to make a good recovery against Sri Lanka in their next bilateral home series in February-March.    Read BPL 2022: Most Impactful Foreign Players from Six Teams

The South African batters came out strong in the third Test match at Newlands in Cape Town, chasing a relatively modest total of 212 runs. They chased down the target for the loss of three wickets just after the post-lunch session on day 4. South Africa won the Test series 2-1 and made significant progress in the current ICC Test Championship points standings with this victory. They have now surpassed India for fourth place. The third Test match report between South Africa and India is discussed in this article.     South Africa vs India Test Series 2021/2022: Third Test Match Report Virat Kohli was returned in India's playing XI for the series-deciding match in Cape Town. However, his inclusion did not help India win their maiden Test series in South Africa. India took a little lead in the first innings but failed to score big in the second innings, leaving South Africa with a reasonably easy target to win the match and the series. The Protea batters batted with discipline and chased down the target in 63.3 overs.   India’s First Innings India scored 223 runs in their first innings after deciding to bat first. The 62-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara was India's highest in the innings. But it was the battle between Virat Kohli and Kagiso Rabada that drew the most attention. The Protea pacer eventually won the battle after picking the Indian Captain in the third session of day 1. Virat Kohli scored the most runs for India in the first innings with 79, while Kagiso Rabada had the most wickets for South Africa with four. Read Bangladesh Cricket Captains: Performance Review for the Year 2021 South Africa’s First Innings South Africa batted poorly in their first innings when they came into bat. The South Africans were bowled out for only 210 runs after losing all of their wickets. Rassie van der Dussen and Keegan Petersen's 67-run fourth-wicket stand was the highest for South Africa in the first innings. Van der Dussen scored the most runs for the Proteas with 72. Medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah was India's leading wicket-taker with 5 wickets. India’s Second Innings India began their second innings with a meager 13-run advantage in the first. The Virat Kohli-led team failed to put up a strong performance in the middle to provide South Africa with a difficult target to chase. They were bowled out for 198 runs just after tea on day three due to some outstanding bowling from the Protea pacers. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen all bowled well. On the other hand, Rishab Pant was India's lone fighter. He was undefeated for 100* runs. South Africa’s Second Innings South Africa had a difficult time chasing down 213 runs since the wicket was primarily designed for faster bowlers. Though, the South African batters had displayed remarkable discipline in the middle. They kept a close eye on the target and slowly reached the target in the second session of day 4. Keegan Petersen led South Africa with 82 runs, while Rassie van der Dussen (41*), Temba Bavuma (32*), and Dean Elgar (30) also contributed significantly to the run chase.   Read BPL 2022 Live Streaming: Where to Watch the Most Anticipated Domestic Cricket Matches? Player of the Match Keegan Petersen was chosen player of the match for his outstanding batting. Petersen was named Player of the Tournament after hitting 276 runs in the series. ICC Test Championship Points Table (2021-2023 Cycle) After clinching the series, South Africa have made a huge jump in the current ICC Test Championship points standings. South Africa have climbed to fourth place in the standings, while India have dropped to the fifth position. Sri Lanka are ranked first, followed by Australia and Pakistan. Test Championship Points Standings (as of January 14, 2022)   Position Team PCT 1 Sri Lanka 100.00 2 Australia 83.33 3 Pakistan 75.00 4 South Africa 66.66 5 India 49.07 6 New Zealand 33.33 7 Bangladesh 25.00 8 West Indies 25.00 9 England 10.41      Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/world-test-championship/standings Bottom Line Losing a Test series against South Africa is a huge blow to India's hopes of reaching the ICC Test Championship final. On the other hand, an inexperienced South African team has started their second cycle of the Test Championship with a promising series victory over one of the world's top longer-version teams. Winning a Test series against India would undoubtedly bolster the Proteas Test side's confidence ahead of the next ITC matchups. Oppositely, India will have to wait until the next series to complete their first-ever Test series in South Africa.  Read BCB announces official schedule of BPL

India's Test skipper Virat Kohli was unable to participate in the second match in the ongoing Test series against South Africa due to an injury. KL Rahul-led team India lost that match by 7 wickets and South Africa leveled the series. As a result, the third Test match in Cape Town is now a do-or-die contest for both teams. Virat Kohli has returned to lead India in this crucial match, but they only managed to score 223 in their first innings. The first-day match report of the third Test between South Africa and India is discussed in this article. SA vs IND 3rd Test 2022: First Day Match Report  India decided to bat first in the hopes of amassing a strong first-inning total. The Indian batters did not impress with the bat, as they were all out for only 223 runs after the tea interval. Captain Virat Kohli fought hard in the middle and batted well. However, the elegant right-hand batter squandered another chance to make his 71st international century. India’s First Innings   India's innings got off to a shaky start, with KL Rahul (12) and Mayank Agarwal (15) falling within just 13 overs. India had a score of 75/2 at lunchtime. Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and skipper Virat Kohli attempted to rebuild the innings with a 62-run third-wicket partnership. However, Pujara lost his wicket to Marco Jansen inside an hour of the post-lunch session. Kagiso Rabada then sent Ajinkya Rahane back to the pavilion after only a few overs. Read: Five Shining Stars of Bangladesh in NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022 The right-arm fast-medium bowler Kagiso Rabada was outstanding with his line and lengths in the first innings. In fact, the battle between Rabada and Virat was one of the day's main highlights. Virat had a lot of trouble with Rabada's fiery deliveries. The charismatic Indian Captain had attacked him in an attempt to disrupt his rhythm. The South African pacer eventually won the battle by dismissing Virat Kohli after the tea break. Virat Kohli batted patiently but fell short of scoring his 28th Test century. He made 77 off 201 balls. Rishab Pant and Shardul Thakur provided solid support in the middle for Virat Kohli as the Indian innings progressed. India were bowled out for a low total after 77.3 overs in the first innings. South Africa's most successful bowler was Kagiso Rabada, who got four wickets, and Marco Jansen took three wickets. The ongoing first innings of South Africa South Africa responded by scoring 17 runs for the loss of Dean Elgar at the end of day one. Medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the left-hander with a brilliant in-swinging ball. Bumrah was outstanding in the closing hour of day one, bowling four overs without conceding a run. He will be a key player for India on day 2. Aiden Markram (8*) and Keshav Maharaj (6*) have stayed unbeaten at the crease. Read: Indian police probe rape threats to Virat Kohli's daughter South Africa will almost certainly try for a strong first-innings lead, which will be difficult to achieve at Newlands in Cape Town. Bottom Line            South Africa have a huge opportunity of taking control of the third Test if they bat well on day 2. South African batters must be determined to score 400 runs in order to take a healthy lead in the first innings. On the other side, India have to keep South Africa to under 250 runs to stay firm in the game. The current Indian Test bowling lineup is one of the best in the world, and they can surely disrupt the Proteas batting lineup's rhythm. Overall, the two teams will face off in a gripping battle on the second day of the contest. Read: Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper

India’s regular Test captain Virat Kohli is not taking part in the second match of the ongoing Test series against the host South Africa. KL Rahul is leading India in this Test against the Proteas at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg in place of Virat Kohli. As per the acting Indian captain, Virat has an upper back spasm but he will be available for the final Test match of the series. Meanwhile, India have had a poor start to the second Test after being asked to bat first. Let's look at the match scenario at the end of the first day of South Africa vs India 2nd Test 2022. SA vs IND 2nd Test 2022: Match Scenario   Opener KL Rahul became India's 34th Test captain in this match. So, this is an important milestone in his cricket career. Rahul chose to bat first in the hope of putting up a big first-inning total. However, the Indian batters failed to shine with the bat, as they were all out for only 202 runs just after the Tea break.  Read NZ-BAN First Test draw can give Bangladesh the pleasure of victory India Struggle in the First Innings    KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal got India off to a good start. They made 36 runs stand between them in the first hour of day one's first session. However, Marco Jansen and Duanne Olivier put the Indian top order under pressure by taking three key wickets in the second hour of the opening session. India were down to 53/3 at lunch, but Rahul stayed at the crease.  India had performed well and kept the scoreboard moving in the first hour of the post-lunch session. However, India lost its momentum once more in the second hour of the session. Two more wickets were lost, including leading scorer KL Rahul (50). India scored 146/5 in the second session. The South African dressing room was optimistic that they could wrap up the Indian innings under 200 runs as they had failed to cope with the Proteas pacers. Read NZ vs BAN 1st Test 2021: Bangladesh Sustains Hope Till the End of Day 2 Marco Jansen struck again for the hosts in the third session, taking wicket-keeper Rishab Pant in the third over. In fact, South Africa bowled India out within the first hour of the post-Tea session. Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen was the most successful bowler for South Africa in this innings. He took four wickets for 31 runs in his 17 overs spell. In addition, Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Oliver each took three wickets. South Africa’s ongoing first innings In response, South Africa scored 35 runs on day 1 for the loss of Aiden Markram. Medium-pacer Mohammad Shami removed the right-hander through Ibw. Captain Dean Elgar (11*) and Keegan Petersen (14*) have remained undefeated at the crease. Read BPL 2022: Five Promising Young Players to Watch South Africa will surely aim for a lead of over 100 runs, which will be a real challenge at the Wanderers cricket ground.   Verdict South Africa may seize control of the second Test if they bat all day on day two. South African batters must perform well in order to achieve that, and they should be wary of an inspiring Indian bowling unit. On the other hand, India must come out with a lot of aggression in order to gain early wickets on the second day. The match would be evenly matched if South Africa failed to take a big lead in the first innings. Therefore, the second Test between South Africa and India will be quite exciting to watch on day two.  Read ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team  

The visiting team India is in a stronger position than the host South Africa In the first of a three-match Test series. India will need to take another six wickets in order to win the first match. Oppositely, South Africa need 211 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Given the present situation, day 5 looks to be a nail-biter. However, India have a better chance than their counterpart since the last day's pitch is more likely to favor bowlers than batters. Let's have a look at the scenario for the first Test match between South Africa and India.     SA vs IND 1st Test 2021: Match Scenario    India have never won a Test series against the Proteas national team in South Africa. In reality, India have only won 3 of its 20 Test matches in South Africa. In addition, India had to wait 14 years and four series to win a Test match against South Africa away from home. However, the current Indian Test setup, in which the Virat Kohli-led team has won at least one away Test series against almost every Test nation, makes them a clear favorite against a revamped South African team. Therefore, the current series might be historic for India, and they are on track to win the first Test if the bowling unit performs well on day 5.  Read Australia Clinch Ashes with a Thumping win Over England in Third Test South Africa scored 94/4 (40.5) at the end of day 4 while chasing 305 runs. The South African captain, Dean Elgar has batted with caution. He is unbeaten on 52* in 122 balls and has shown a lot of confidence in his technique against an impressive Indian bowling attack. Elgar would have to bat deep if South Africa wanted to seal the match against India.       India Crumble in the Second Innings    The Indian campaign seemed optimistic after achieving a 130-run lead in the first innings. It appeared India had a strategy to set a 400-run target for South Africa when they came to play in their second innings. However, South African bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen all came out with a better strategy in the second innings. They put Indian batters under strain with brilliant accuracy and took wickets at regular intervals. Virat Kohli failed to live up to expectations once again, he was dismissed for only 18 runs. Meanwhile, first innings centurion KL Rahul made 23 runs.  Read BPL 2022: SWOT Analysis of all Six Teams When India were down to 111/6, they changed their approach and began attacking the Proteas bowlers for quick runs. India's best scorer was Rishab Pant in the second innings, who made 34 off 34 balls. Oppositely, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen each got four wickets, while Lungi Ngidi grabbed two.     Verdict    Indian team, without a doubt, is in the front, but the South African side has a decent chance of winning. The Centurion pitch will be even more difficult to bat on day 5 as the cracks open up. So, surviving on the last day would be a huge test for the remainder of the Proteas batters. Opener Dean Elgar will have to shoulder most of the pressure if South Africa want to win the series opener. However, one thing is certain: there will be a result at the end of the match if rain does not intervene on the fifth day.    Read NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022: Five Bangladesh Players to keep an eye on

The three-match Test series between host South Africa and visitors India started on Boxing Day at Centurion's SuperSport Park. This is South Africa's first ICC Test Championship series in the second cycle (2021-2023). India, on the other hand, is in the third series in the tournament's second edition. After electing to bat first, India finished day one with a total of 272/3. KL Rahul's brilliant century has taken India to a good total in the first innings. Take a look at the highlights from the opening day of the first Test between South Africa and India. SA vs IND 1st Test 2021: First Day Highlights Centurion is known for producing sporting pitches over the years.   As per the statistics, team bat first has won 11 matches, team bat second has won 12, and just three matches have ended in a draw. By these stats, the team that can outperform the opposition in every department has a better chance of succeeding on this ground. Given South Africa's current batting prowess, India captain Virat Kohli felt that putting up a high total in the first innings would be the best tactic against the Proteas in a Test match. The openers answered well, putting together a 117-run partnership. Read England stages 2nd-day Ashes revival at MCG amid virus scare  First Session Both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were keen on being firm at the crease in order to bat for extended periods of time. They were wary about two of the best fast bowlers in the world right now and didn’t make unnecessary efforts to increase the run rates. Both batsmen were able to deal with a powerful South African bowling unit by using better techniques. India were 83/0 in 28 overs at lunch, with Mayank Agarwal scoring the most runs of the two batters. Second Session After the post-lunch session, South Africa had to wait more than an hour for the much-needed first breakthrough. South African players asked for Ibw after Lungi Ngidi's rising up delivery hit Mayank Agarwal's front pad. The on-field umpire was unsatisfied. The Proteas captain Dean Elgar took the review and reply showed that the ball would hit the leg stump. Mayank Agarwal returned to the pavilion after a well-made 60-run knock. New batter Pujara just faced one ball in the first inning because Ngidi hit again with an excellent length delivery in the next ball.  South African bowlers made some adjustments in the second session. They aimed outside the off-stump channel in the first session, but they delivered as many balls as possible in the good length area in the second session. This strategy worked out perfectly for the host. Read Guide to the Ashes, Test cricket’s biggest stage Third Session  India was under some strain after losing two wickets in a row. The pressure from the South African bowlers was soaked up by an 82-run partnership between Captain Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Ngidi struck again with an outside off delivery to Virat Kohli in the next session, who was batting at 35. Kohli went out to play Ngidi's outside off delivery, but a thick edge only found Mulder at first slip. Virat Kohli has gone another innings without scoring a century. He hasn't struck an international century since the Pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in 2019. The South African campaign aimed to put extra pressure on India's batting line-up, but an unbroken 73*-run partnership between KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane rescued the day. With 40*, Rahane has stayed unbeaten, while KL Rahul has struck an unbeaten 122*, his seventh Test century. Rahul has played a classical knock which will boost his confidence to perform even better in Test cricket. Only Lungi Ngidi has been a successful bowler for South Africa, having taken all three Indian wickets so far. Read 3rd Ashes test: Boland test debut, England makes 4 changes Verdict   India have made a strong start in the series-opening Test match against South Africa with a strong batting showing from the openers. KL Rahul is renowned for being a perfect batsman in limited-over formats, but his recent efforts in the longer-version format have shown that the right-hander is also capable of unleashing his full potential in Test cricket. Indian campaign is concerned over Virat Kohli's longest century drought. Virat must overcome his psychological barrier in order to achieve the three-figure mark on the international stage. The second day of the South Africa-India 1st Test will be crucial for both teams, with India aiming for a huge first-innings total and South Africa aiming to keep India under 400.