AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis of South Africa (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

South Africa have long been known for chasing the impossible. They still hold the world record for the highest successful run chase in ODI cricket, when they hunted down 438 vs Australia. But 12 years ago at the Wanderers, they came within touching distance of pulling off something even more extraordinary in Test cricket.Set a target of 458 against India on a cracked, uneven surface, South Africa began the fifth day with far more modest ambitions. Needing 320 runs with eight wickets in hand, a draw or an India win felt like the realistic outcome. Few could have imagined that by the final hour, victory would be within reach for the Proteas.

Early wickets shifted the balance back towards India, but then Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers came together with clarity and purpose. Time at the crease mattered more than the scoreboard. What followed was a partnership built on patience, courage and immense control.For almost four hours, the pair batted with discipline on a pitch that offered variable bounce and plenty of movement. They faced 375 deliveries together and added 205 runs, taking South Africa from 197 for 4, still 261 away, to the brink of a historic chase. Cracks opened up, balls reared up and down, edges flew over the slips, but both batters absorbed it all and kept moving forward.By the final session, the equation had shifted dramatically. South Africa needed 66 runs from 15 overs with both batters unbeaten on hundreds. The chase was suddenly real.Against the flow of the game, Ishant Sharma struck. De Villiers chopped on from a back-of-a-length delivery, giving India an opening. JP Duminy followed soon after, inside-edging a cover drive. Momentum swung again when du Plessis was run out, exhausted after a long innings, following a magnificent direct hit from Ajinkya Rahane.With 20 runs needed and the score reading 438, the dream was still alive. But only Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn remained, with an injured Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir unable to contribute meaningfully with the bat. Safety became the priority. Philander and Steyn blocked, left and survived. Steyn even sent the final ball of Mohammed Shami into the stands for a huge six, but it came too late. South Africa finished just eight runs short, securing one of the greatest draws the game has seen.It felt intense, dramatic and strangely anti-climactic all at once. A draw had been the morning goal, yet victory slipped away by the narrowest of margins.While du Plessis and de Villiers defined the day, the Test also marked an important chapter for India. Batting first, India were bowled out for 280, with Virat Kohli standing tall with a superb 119. Ajinkya Rahane was the next best scorer with 47. In reply, South Africa made 244, led by captain Graeme Smith’s 68, while Vernon Philander provided crucial lower-order support with a valuable 59. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma picked up four wickets each. India then batted again with a slender lead of 36. Although Shikhar Dhawan fell cheaply for 15, Murali Vijay scored 39 and added 70 for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara went on to play a brilliant innings of 153 and then added 222 runs with Virat Kohli, who agonisingly missed out on a century by just four runs. India were all out for 421, setting South Africa a daunting target of 458. In the chase, Alviro Petersen’s 76 and Graeme Smith’s 44 laid a strong foundation with an opening stand of 108 before the first wicket fell.After the match, du Plessis reflected on the escape, saying: “If you had asked us this morning whether we would have taken saving the game, we definitely would have taken it. I was struggling a bit with cramps and some stomach aches too, which I don’t normally get. I was thinking about Adelaide. I knew I had done it before and I just placed a very high price on my wicket and made sure the Indians found it difficult to get me. The wicket was just a blur. In hindsight, I should have been out there holding one end while Vern went and took it on. India bowled very skilfully.”Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for scores of 119 and 96. Cheteshwar Pujara showcased his class with a commanding 153 in the second innings. It was a period of transition, the first major overseas assignment for Kohli, Pujara and Rahane as a group.India lost the series 1-0 and went down by 10 wickets in the second Test, but they discovered something lasting. Kohli, Pujara and Rahane finished as the three highest run scorers in the series. Pujara made 280 runs at an average of 70. Kohli followed with 272 at 68. Rahane added 209 at 69.66. Together, they would go on to shape India’s batting for the next decade. Twelve years on, that final day at the Wanderers remains unforgettable.

Viswanathan Anand vs Hikaru Nakamura (GCL Photo)

NEW DELHI: SG Pipers have booked their place in the final of the Global Chess League (GCL), where they will face defending champions and table toppers Continental Kings.As Monday saw a dramatic end to the league stage, Pipers lost their last league match 6-11 to Alaskan Knights, but still qualified for the final because they finished with a better game-point tally than Ganges Grandmasters.

Both teams ended with 15 match points, but Pipers edged ahead with 84 game points compared to the Grandmasters’ 83.The final league match was tense for Pipers. They needed either a win or at least six game points to stay ahead in the standings. Alaskan Knights, on the other hand, needed a win to secure a place in the third-place playoff and came out strong.World champion D Gukesh capitalised on a mistake by Fabiano Caruana, while Arjun Erigaisi beat Anish Giri with the black pieces. These results gave the Knights eight crucial points and kept the pressure on Pipers.For SG Pipers, Hou Yifan once again delivered a key result.The three-time women’s world champion won her third match in a row, defeating Kateryna Lagno in just 20 moves. Despite this, the match went down to the wire.Draws by R Praggnanandhaa and Nino Batsiashvili meant that everything depended on Leon Luke Mendonca’s game on the prodigy board. Mendonca held his nerve and secured a draw against Daniel Darda after 42 moves. That draw proved vital and helped Pipers reach the final.Earlier in the day, Ganges Grandmasters kept their hopes alive with a big 12-3 win over American Gambits. Viswanathan Anand drew with Hikaru Nakamura, while Vincent Keymer, Raunak Sadhwani, and Stavroula Tsolakidou registered important wins.However, their effort was not enough, and they will now play Alaskan Knights in the third-place match.In the other league match, Continental Kings defeated Mumba Masters 10-9. Despite wins from Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Bardiya Daneshvar, losses on the top boards cost Mumba Masters the match.

Virat Kohli was spotted at Mumbai airport on Monday as he prepares to return to domestic cricket. The former India captain is set to feature for Delhi in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which begins on December 24, marking yet another return of a senior international to the domestic circuit.The Delhi and District Cricket Association confirmed that Rishabh Pant will lead the side in the tournament. Kohli is part of the squad for the first two matches.Delhi’s squad also boasts experience in Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini, both of whom have confirmed their availability. Harshit Rana, currently with the Indian T20I setup, will link up with the team once he is released. Placed in Group D, Delhi will play seven matches, with their campaign running until January 8.

The return of players like Kohli to domestic tournaments follows the BCCI’s push to ensure Indian cricketers stay in game mode by featuring regularly in domestic cricket like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy or the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.On the field, Kohli comes into the tournament in solid ODI form. He finished the year as India’s highest run scorer in the format, amassing 651 runs in 13 matches at an average of 65.10. His run included three centuries, four half centuries and a strike rate close to 96, numbers that underline his continued impact in white-ball cricket.The turnaround began during the Australia series, where, after two consecutive ducks, an unbeaten 74 in Sydney looked like a release of pressure. From there, Kohli carried the momentum into the home series against South Africa. He struck centuries in the first two ODIs, scoring 135 in Ranchi and 102 in Raipur, before sealing the series with a composed 65 not out in a chase of 271 in Vizag.

Gautam Gambhir with Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube (PTI Photo)

MUMBAI: India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube will play two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Mumbai in January.“Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had told all the India players who took part in the recently held T20I series against South Africa that they have to play two matches in VHT. Suryakumar and Dube will turn out for Mumbai in VHT in their matches on January 6 and 8,” a source tracking developments told TOI.

India’s next T20I series will begin on January 21 against New Zealand at home.Meanwhile, former India captain Rohit Sharma, who will play the first two matches of VHT, is reaching Jaipur on Monday night, along with Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur, who became a father on Sunday. Both will take part in Mumbai’s practice session on Tuesday.Mumbai underwent an optional practice session on Monday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and will play their league stage matches in Jaipur starting from December 24.They will launch their campaign against Sikkim on Wednesday.Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was hospitalised in Pune after suffering from acute gastroenteritis after Mumbai’s last match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, too will turn out for Mumbai in the domestic One-Day tournament at some stage.“Yashasvi is feeling much better now. He will play in VHT at some stage for sure,” a source tracking developments told TOI.With no international cricket scheduled till January 11, when the three-match home ODI series against New Zealand kicks off, India’s top cricketers will be available to play in VHT.Rahane to rest from VHT’s initial matchesMeanwhile, it’s learnt that former India and Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane has asked to be rested from the first two matches of VHT. “He has got a hamstring issue and will rest and recover. He will be available for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy,” a source added.

India’s Sanju Samson, left, and Abhishek Sharma (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)

Sanju Samson’s return to India’s T20 World Cup plans has come with both praise and a warning. After being named India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Samson found backing from former India selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who did not hold back while assessing his comeback knock in Ahmedabad. “He batted really well. What an innings it was. Some of the strokes he played were brilliant,” Srikkanth said. “When he is striking, he is striking deadly.”

But the former India captain was quick to add a word of caution, pointing to the fine margins that have defined Samson’s international career. “Only thing I will tell Sanju is, don’t get out on 37. Convert that 37 into 73. If you do that, you can’t be removed,” he said. “People forget 30s and 40s.” Samson’s 37 came at a crucial time, after he had missed seven consecutive games since the Australia tour and just a day before India announced their World Cup squad. The timing proved decisive, especially with selectors springing a surprise by leaving out vice-captain Shubman Gill. Srikkanth hinted that decisions may have already been communicated behind the scenes. “Sanju Samson got one chance and he grabbed it in yesterday’s match,” he said. “I think they might have told him yesterday that you don’t play. Maybe that’s why he was declared unfit. They might have told him that he’s not in the team.” Gill, who had replaced Samson as Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner in September 2025, struggled to cement his spot. Across 15 innings, he failed to score a single half-century and managed just 32 runs in three innings during the South Africa series before a toe injury ruled him out of the final two matches and ultimately the World Cup squad. Srikkanth also looked beyond selection debates, turning his attention to India’s batting firepower heading into the tournament. “He was batting like ‘Mission Impossible’. It was just outstanding to watch him bat,” he said, referring to Hardik Pandya. And the warning to opponents was clear. “If you look at the top five, if Suryakumar Yadav hits form, this batting line-up will destroy opponents,” Srikkanth said. “It is an intimidating and devastating batting line-up.”

Krishnappa Gowtham (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Krishnappa Gowtham announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday at the age of 37. The Karnataka all-rounder spent 14 years playing professional cricket in India. He was known for his big hitting down the order and his reliable off-spin bowling. Gowtham made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2012 Ranji Trophy season against Uttar Pradesh. He impressed right away by taking the wickets of Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his first match.

The 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season was a big moment in his career. He took 27 wickets in just eight matches and proved himself as a true all-rounder. In the following season, he added batting strength to his game by scoring his first first-class century against Assam in Mysuru.Gowtham built an awe-inspiring domestic record over the years. He finished his career with more than 320 wickets across first-class and List A cricket. He also played many useful innings with the bat. He remained an important part of Karnataka cricket until 2023. His consistent performances earned him several India A selections. He played against teams like New Zealand A, West Indies A, Australia A and England Lions. In 2021, he received a call-up to the senior Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour. He played one T20 International in Colombo and managed to take a wicket. In Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. His IPL journey peaked in 2021 when Chennai Super Kings bought him for Rs 9.25 crore. He earned more than Rs 35 crore and produced several match-winning performances during his IPL stint. One of his most unforgettable performances came in the 2019 Karnataka Premier League. Playing for Bellary Tuskers, he smashed 134 runs off just 56 balls, hitting 13 sixes. He then delivered an incredible bowling spell, taking eight wickets while giving away only 15 runs in four overs. It remains one of the finest all-round performances in Indian T20 cricket. With his retirement, Indian domestic cricket bids farewell to a dependable and impactful all-rounder.

PM Shahbaz Sharif announces cash reward for U19 Asia Cup winners

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a big cash reward for the country’s Under-19 cricket team after their Asia Cup win on Sunday. On Monday, he hosted a special reception for the players and officials in Islamabad. During the event, he announced a cash award of 10 million Pakistani rupees for each player.

Pakistan beat India by a huge margin of 191 runs in the final on Sunday to lift the Under-19 Asia Cup title. The team’s performance was praised by everyone present at the ceremony.Team mentor and manager Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed the announcement while speaking to the media. He said the Prime Minister had rewarded every player with 10 million rupees, which is around 36,000 US dollars. Sarfaraz also said he enjoyed working with such talented young players and believed they had a bright future in cricket.Head coach Shahid Anwar said the victory was the result of careful planning and long-term preparation. He explained how the team was selected after months of trials and matches. “The process started in June when we picked around 70 players after trials and then reduced the number to 20. Most of these players were then given chances to play 50-over cricket at domestic level,” Anwar said.In the final, Pakistan posted a massive total of 347 runs for eight wickets. Sameer Minhas played a stunning knock of 172 runs and was the star of the match. Pakistan’s fast bowlers then dominated India and bowled them out for just 156 runs.India captain Ayush Mhatre admitted his team made mistakes on the big day. “We were clear to bowl first, there were some inconsistencies in the line of the bowling. It was a simple plan to play the 50 overs. The boys really played well and tournament was good for us and some players stood up,” he said.Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf praised the team effort. “We very happy with the collective performance. We had lost the first match against India, but our management had a good talk with us and we could provide the win in the final,” he added.Minhas was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Speaking after the win, he said, “It was a good innings, I had in mind to score a big score, I want to play my natural game, we wanted to bat first looking at the track. It is very memorable for me.”

Australian players celebrate England’s Ben Stokes was dismissed (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has delivered a blunt assessment of England’s Ashes campaign in Australia, insisting that despite a complete change in mindset under the Bazball era, the outcome has been “no different” from previous tours.Speaking on the Ashes Daily podcast on Sky Sports Cricket after Australia sealed the series with an 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide, Hussain said he initially supported England’s decision to rethink their approach following years of failure Down Under.

“I quite like the fact they have done things differently over the last four years since the last Ashes drubbing,” Hussain said. “I do like the fact they have thought differently; they have planned ahead. If you carry on doing what you have always done, you will get the same results, so they saw we need to do something different. I quite like that, they’ve thought ahead.”Australia wrapped up the series midway through the final day in Adelaide, bowling England out for 352 in their second innings to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. It marks England’s first away Ashes defeat of the Bazball era, following the appointments of Brendon McCullum as head coach and Ben Stokes as captain in 2022.However, Hussain said that when judged purely on performances, this England side has looked all too familiar. “But actually, if you’ve come here and looked at them in the last three-four weeks you’d have thought, ‘is it really that different from any other England side?’” he said.“They’ve not batted well, they’ve not bowled well, they’ve not caught well. Under key moments and pressure situations, they’ve buckled,” Hussain added.Pointing to history, Hussain explained why England felt forced to reinvent themselves in the first place. “Every other England side apart from the (Andrew) Strauss side [in 2010-11] has come here and lost and lost convincingly,” he said. “Joe Root has now played 17 Test matches in Australia; he hasn’t won one.”Despite understanding the logic behind the overhaul in strategy, Hussain admitted frustration that the end result has remained unchanged. “So that’s why there was this rethink,” he said. “Even after the massive rethink and left-field selections and ‘we must have pace’ and ‘we must have batters that put bowlers under pressure’, actually we’ve ended up getting exactly what we’ve had on virtually every other Ashes tour.”He concluded with a note of disappointment, adding, “That’s what disappoints me because I thought this time, with this opposition, it might have been slightly different. It has been no different.”

Former cricketer and television commentator Stuart Broad (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has made it clear that he has no regrets about calling the current Australian side the “worst since 2010”, even after Australia sealed the Ashes 2025–26 series in just 11 days.Speaking on his For The Love of Cricket podcast after Australia took an unassailable 3–0 lead, Broad said, “Do I regret saying that? No.”

Broad explained that his assessment before the series was based on how the contest could swing. “I did say Australia would have to play very badly [to lose the Ashes] and England would have to play very well,” he said.That, according to Broad, never happened. “Australia haven’t played very badly and England haven’t played very well,” he added. While admitting Australia were always favourites at home, Broad said the margin of dominance surprised him. “I had Australia down as favourites, but I didn’t have them down as 3–0 favourites.”Broad also pointed to the fact that England had chances going into the series, especially with Australia missing key players. “There are a lot of things that have gone England’s way,” he said, referring to Pat Cummins missing the first two Tests, Josh Hazlewood being ruled out of the series so far through injury, and Steve Smith missing the Adelaide Test.Despite that, Broad felt England simply fell short. “England haven’t been good enough ultimately,” he said, while praising Australia’s approach. “Australia have been relentless in what they’ve done. They’ve showed age is just a number.”Addressing comparisons with past Australian teams, Broad stood by his view that this side does not match the standards of earlier eras. “Do I think the side of 2013–14 man for man was a better side? Yes, probably still,” he said, referring to the Michael Clarke-led team that dismantled England with Mitchell Johnson’s fearsome spells.Broad went further, adding, “I don’t think individually they are better than any other team since 2010–11, but they’ve been relentless in the pressure they’ve managed to put on England, as have every Australian team since 2010.”He also dismissed suggestions that England’s position was unprecedented. “England losing 3–0 by the third Test is not something new,” Broad said. “I don’t disagree with my comment. England have been at 20 per cent of their ability.”After the Adelaide defeat, even England captain Ben Stokes admitted Australia handled key moments better, conceding that managing pressure was the main reason the hosts raced to a 3–0 lead in the five-match series.

NEW DELHI: India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill will return to the domestic spotlight after a rare setback in his international career, with the Indian star named in Punjab’s 18-member squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy beginning December 24. Gill’s inclusion headlines a power-packed Punjab side that also features Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh, as the team looks to mount a strong title challenge in India’s premier 50-over competition.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Gill’s presence carries added significance after he was left out of India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the T20I series against New Zealand. For Gill, the Vijay Hazare Trophy now presents an opportunity to reset, rediscover rhythm, and remind selectors of his class in the white-ball format.

Punjab open their campaign against Maharashtra on December 24 and will play all seven league matches in Jaipur. The side, which exited at the quarter-final stage last season, boasts a formidable batting core with Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Naman Dhir, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh and Harpreet Brar complementing Gill and Abhishek at the top and middle order.Abhishek Sharma’s inclusion adds further intrigue, with the aggressive all-rounder expected to play a key role in Punjab’s run-scoring ambitions. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, Punjab’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024–25 edition, will spearhead the bowling attack once again, supported by Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat. His ability to strike early and close out innings makes him central to Punjab’s hopes.However, the availability of Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep remains uncertain beyond the league stage, with India scheduled to play three ODIs against New Zealand from January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series starting January 21.Punjab find themselves in a competitive group alongside Mumbai, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim, with league fixtures concluding on January 8. Punjab’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad