It was a pity there were no spectators to applaud Temba Bavuma's men, but the empty stands seemed to convey a message.
At least Cricket South Africa saw them as early signs. They truncated their Test roster and glammed up SA20, their new T20 league. With interest for Test cricket on the wane, South Africa went to New Zealand with a makeshift squad led by a makeshift captain. That's how Proteas began their World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with three losses in four Tests (1-1 against India and 0-2 against NZ). Very few would have thought that they would be frontrunners to make the final on the home stretch of the cycle. But here they are, a solitary win in the remaining 2-Test home series against Pakistan from making their maiden WTC final.
This story is from the December 11, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Jaipur.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 11, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Jaipur.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Diljit Meets PM Modi, Gets 2025's First Iconic Insta Collab
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh kick-started the new year with a \"memorable meeting\" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
MrBeast's partner 'wins' proposal
Popular American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast (26) is engaged to his girlfriend, South African content creator Thea Booysen (27).
Rohit Likely to Sit Out at SCG; Bumrah Set for Captaincy
Battered by extra bounce and seam movement along with scathing criticism of his leadership, India skipper Rohit Sharma's career as a Test cricketer seems headed for a dispiriting climax amid swirling speculation that he is set to be dropped from the fifth and final Test against Australia starting here on Friday.
Would love to collaborate on an Indian film: Xiumin
Indian fans of South Korean singer-actor Xiumin were pleasantly surprised when he greeted them in Hindi with the words \"Meri aashiqui tum hi ho\" (a reference to a popular track from the 2013 film Aashiqui 2) at the K-Town Festival in Mumbai a couple of weeks back.
Djokovic Cruises Past Monfils As Rising Stars Shine In Brisbane
Novak Djokovic was in imperious form as he demolished Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Thursday, with the Australian Open just over a week away.
Perera's 46-Ball Ton Gives SL Consolation T20 Win Over NZ
Kusal Perera cracked a career-best 101 off just 46 balls as Sri Lanka secured a consolation seven-run victory in the third and final Twenty20 match against New Zealand in Nelson on Thursday.
Jesus Hopes His Goals Can Help End Arsenal Drought
Gabriel Jesus is determined to keep scoring as Arsenal look to end their more than 20-year wait for a Premier League title.
Won't be surprised if Rohit retires from Tests: Shastri
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri will not be surprised if under-fire captain Rohit Sharma announces his Test retirement in near future, saying talented and in-form youngsters like Shubman Gill are knocking hard on the doors of the side.
Cummins says no let up in intensity as Oz eye win
Australia captain Pat Cummins asserted that there would be no let up in intensity despite the hosts grabbing a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, beginning here on Friday.
M&M, TaMo ride EVs to become first to win auto PLI
Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) Ltd on Thursday became India's first automakers to secure production incentives for the automotive sector, marking a key moment for the scheme that had a tepid start.
