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Underfire Gautam Gambhir said it was up to the Indian cricket board to decide his fate as coach after overseeing a 2-0 Test series defeat to South Africa on Wednesday.India went down to South Africa by 408 runs in the second Test to suffer their biggest defeat by runs and a fifth loss in seven home matches.The hosts were whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand a year ago and the heavy defeat in Guwahati has once again raised doubts over Gambhir’s tactics.”It is up to BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to decide,” Gambhir said, asked in the post-match press conference whether he was the right man for the job.”I’ve said it during my first press conference when I took over as the head coach — Indian cricket is important, I’m not important. And I sit here saying exactly the same thing.”Former batsman Gambhir, 44, replaced Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup triumph last year and has lost 10 out of 19 Tests since being appointed coach.His contract runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup.”People can keep forgetting I’m the same guy who got results in England as well, with a young team,” he said of the drawn away Test series this year.”And I’m sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand.””And I’m the same guy under who we won the Champions Trophy and Asian Cup as well,” he added.Stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma quit T20 cricket after the World Cup win in Barbados and earlier this year called time on their Test careers.Shubman Gill was appointed Test captain ahead of the 2-2 draw in England.He then led India to a 2-0 sweep of the West Indies at home.Gill was injured in the opening match of the South Africa series and missed the second Test.Rishabh Pant stood in as skipper of a team in transition.India crashed to 140 all out in a mammoth chase of 549 with their batting faltering consistently in the two-match series.Their highest total was 201 in the first innings in Guwahati.”I don’t give excuses and I have never done that in the past,” said Gambhir.”But if you see four or five batters in this top eight have literally played less than 15 Tests. And they will grow. They are learning on the job.”The Indian spinners were also outdone on favourable home pitches with South Africa’s Simon Harmer returning 17 wickets with his off-spin.”I do not think so ever in a Test cricket something like this has happened where the transition is happening in the spin-bowling department and in a batting department as well,” said Gambhir.”All of us need to give them time and I am sure they have got the skill, they have got the talent, they have got the ability.”

Spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets as South Africa thrashed India by 408 runs in the second Test on Wednesday to condemn the hosts to a record loss and sweep the series.It was South Africa’s first series win in India in 25 years, after bowling the home team out for a dismal 140 in an unlikely chase of 549 on day five in Guwahati.India suffered their biggest Test defeat by runs and a fifth loss in seven home matches, having been whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand little more than a year ago.Off-spinner Harmer, 36, returned figures of 6-37 as world champions South Africa clinched a Test series in India for only the second time, the first in 2000 under Hansie Cronje.”Winning a Test match and series in India is very special,” said left-arm quick Marco Jansen, who took 6-48 in India’s first-innings 201 after smashing a quickfire 93 with the bat as the visitors piled up 489.India lost the opening Test in Kolkata inside three days on a pitch with uneven bounce and South Africa once again beat the hosts at their own game of spin on a batting-friendly track.India coach Gautam Gambhir, under fierce pressure following the latest home whitewash, refused to point the finger of blame squarely at his players.”It lies with everyone in that dressing room and starts with me,” he told journalists.”I have said it before as well — that we win together, we lose together.”Asked if he was the right man to lead India, he referred reporters to the Indian cricket board.”I’ve said it during my first press conference when I took over as the head coach,” said the former batsman.”Indian cricket is important, I’m not important.”- India fold -A confident South Africa led by Temba Bavuma were always in control.All-rounder Senuran Muthusamy scored 109, his maiden Test century, before Jansen’s blast after electing to bat.The hosts were bundled out for 201 in reply to concede a first-innings lead of 288 but South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again.South Africa declared their second innings on 260-5 on day four to hand India a record chase but the hosts’ batting once again failed and they never threatened to get close.”Whether you’re playing at home or away, cricket demands that determination and the extra effort,” said India captain Rishabh Pant.”As a batting unit you need to capitalise on certain moments. As a team we didn’t do that.”Starting day five at 27-2 as they attempted to avoid defeat, India rode their luck early when Jansen had Sai Sudharsan caught behind for four, but the delivery was declared a no-ball after the bowler overstepped.In the next over Kuldeep Yadav survived a reprieve on four when Aiden Markram dropped him at first slip off Harmer.The relief was short-lived for India as a relentless Harmer bowled Kuldeep for five for the first wicket of the day.Three balls later the spinner dismissed Dhruv Jurel for two and soon sent back Pant for 13 as India slumped to 58-5.Ravindra Jadeja resisted with 54 before Keshav Maharaj had him stumped and the spinner soon got the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj, with Jansen pulling off a stunning catch in the deep.”Coming here, I would have never thought 2-0 would be the result at the end of the series,” said Bavuma.”But I think it’s an incredible achievement for the group of players.”

Spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets as South Africa thrashed India by 408 runs in the second Test on Wednesday to sweep the series and condemn the hosts to a record loss.It was South Africa’s first series win in India in 25 years, after bowling the home team out for a dismal 140 in a mammoth chase of 549 on day five in Guwahati.India suffered their biggest Test defeat by runs and a fifth loss in seven home Tests, having been whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand last year.Off-spinner Harmer, 36, returned figures of 6-37 as South Africa clinched a Test series in India for only the second time, the first in 2000 under Hansie Cronje.”Winning a Test match and series in India is very special,” said left-arm quick Marco Jansen, who returned figures of 6-48 in India’s first innings after smashing a quickfire 93 with the bat.Jansen, named player of the match, added: “Very well done to everyone for putting their hand up and making this happen.” India lost the opening Test in Kolkata inside three days on a pitch with uneven bounce before South Africa once again beat the hosts in their own game of spin on a batting-friendly track.Ravindra Jadeja resisted with 54 before Keshav Maharaj had him stumped and the spinner soon got the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj, with Jansen pulling off a stunning catch in the deep.The visitors had declared their second innings on 260-5 on day four to hand India a record chase but the hosts’ batting once again failed and they never threatened to get close.”Whether you’re playing at home or away cricket demands that determination and the extra effort,” said India captain Rishabh Pant.”As a batting unit you need to capitalise on certain moments. As a team we didn’t do that.”India rode their luck early in the day when Jansen had Sai Sudharsan caught behind but the delivery was declared a no-ball after the bowler overstepped. The batter was on four.In the next over Kuldeep Yadav survived a reprieve on four when Aiden Markram dropped him at first slip off Harmer.But the relief was short-lived for India as a relentless Harmer bowled Kuldeep for five for the first wicket of the day.Three balls later the spinner dismissed Dhruv Jurel for two and soon sent back Pant for 13 as India slumped to 58-5.The batters fell like nine pins on a pitch where South Africa posted 489 after they elected to bat.India were bundled out for 201 to concede a first-innings lead of 288 but South Africa did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again.South African all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy led the batting charge in the first innings with 109, his maiden Test century.

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed together in the same group and will play each other on February 15 in Colombo in the T20 World Cup, cricket’s world body announced Tuesday.Defending champions India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A in the 20-team competition being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, according to the schedule released by the International Cricket Council in Mumbai.It will be the first time the two teams play each other since their three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE, where they skipped the customary handshake at the toss and post-match greetings.The Asia Cup was the first time they had met since a deadly border conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.The T20 World Cup will see Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.Matches in the tournament will be held from February 7 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.Cricket-mad India, the world’s most populous nation, is the epicentre of the T20 game through its lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), boasting top global stars.The tournament will use the same format as 2024 — 20 teams in four groups, ahead of a Super Eights phase, with the top two finishers from each group making it to the playoffs.The final will be played on March 8 either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.- Newcomers Italy -India enter the sport’s 10th edition of the showcase T20 tournament as reigning champions, having beaten South Africa by seven runs in 2024 in Barbados.Indian fans are dreaming of seeing their men’s team win a second time at home, after they clinched the 50-over World Cup in Mumbai in 2011.India’s women celebrated a watershed moment this month, when the team won their first World Cup crown, beating South Africa in the final at Mumbai.Indian broadcaster JioHotstar said the viewing figures of the final on their app matched that of the men’s T20 World Cup 2024 summit clash, a “staggering 185 million users”, according to the ICC.”It is wonderful to welcome the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back to the subcontinent so soon after a groundbreaking Women’s Cricket World Cup,” ICC chairman Jay Shah said.”The passion for cricket in this region is unmatched, and fans have been waiting eagerly for another global spectacle.”Alongside hosts India and Sri Lanka, top finishers from the 2024 edition taking part are Australia, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, United States and West Indies.From Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe have qualified. From Europe, Ireland, the Netherlands and — for the first time — Italy are also playing.Also included are Nepal, Oman and United Arab Emirates.Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat, is home to a 130,000-seater arena which is the world’s biggest cricket stadium, named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The city is in prime position to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with a final announcement on Wednesday.India has its eyes on a bigger prize, having submitted a formal letter of intent last year to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government vowed on Tuesday to “respond appropriately” to deadly overnight air strikes it blamed on Pakistan, a claim Islamabad denied, as tensions spiked a day after a suicide bombing in a Pakistani city.An air raid on Khost province “martyred” nine children and a woman, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X, blaming Pakistani forces and saying the target was “the house of a local civilian resident”.Residents of the targeted area near the Pakistan frontier searched through the rubble of a collapsed house and prepared graves for victims, an AFP correspondent saw.”Our request from the government of Pakistan is this: do not bomb ordinary people,” said Sajidulrahman, a resident of the Jige Mughalgai area.”Civilians have done nothing wrong.”Mustaghfir Gurbuz, a spokesman for the governor of Khost, said the strikes were carried out by aircraft that included drones.The nearby border regions of Kunar and Paktika were also hit, wounding at least four people, government spokesman Mujahid said.”The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this violation and reiterates that defending its airspace, territory, and people is its legitimate right, and it will respond appropriately at the right time,” Mujahid said in a separate statement.Pakistan denied carrying out any attack. According to state broadcaster PTV, military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said: “Pakistan has not attacked Afghanistan.””Whenever we conduct a strike, it is announced openly and properly,” he said. “Pakistan never attacks civilian populations. The allegations of the interim Afghan government are baseless.”The bombardment came after a suicide attack on Monday killed three officers and wounded 11 others at the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary force in Peshawar.No group has claimed responsibility, but state broadcaster PTV reported the attackers were Afghan nationals.President Asif Zardari blamed the “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij” — Islamabad’s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group it accuses of operating from Afghan soil.Another suicide blast this month killed 12 people outside a court in the Pakistani capital. It was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.Islamabad has said the militant cell behind the capital attack was “guided at every step by the… high command based in Afghanistan”.- Truce under strain -Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters on Tuesday there was “clear-cut evidence” linking the Afghan Taliban to the Islamabad bombing.He aired an alleged video confession from one of four suspects in custody and said: “Afghanistan is fully involved… and their soil is also involved. The people being sheltered there are also involved.”Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in Kabul in 2021, and worsened after border clashes in October killed around 70 people on both sides.That fighting ended with a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but several rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul failed to produce a lasting deal.Security issues have proved a sticking point, especially Pakistan’s demand that Kabul curb TTP fighters.Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a bloody campaign against Pakistan for years.Kabul denies the charge and counters that Pakistan harbours groups hostile to Afghanistan and does not respect its sovereignty.The border between the neighbours has remained closed for more than six weeks since the October clashes, freezing bilateral trade.The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that thousands of containers remain stuck at the border, each incurring $150–$200 in daily charges, calling the economic burden “unbearable”.

South Africa had India tottering at 27-2 after setting the hosts a mammoth target of 549 in the second Test on Tuesday, moving to the brink of a first series win in the country for 25 years.South Africa declared on 260-5 in the final session on day four in Guwahati after Tristan Stubbs made 94.World Test champions South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0 and even a draw would seal their first series victory in India since 2000.The Proteas kept on batting despite the lead crossing 500 in the second session and coach Shukri Conrad said they wanted to make sure they ended India’s hopes of a series-levelling win.”We wanted them to really grovel… Bat them completely out the game and then say to them well come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening,” Conrad told reporters.”So far so good but we also know they’re not just going to roll over. We’re going to have to be at our very best tomorrow.”India suffered their fourth defeat in six home Tests in the opener in Kolkata, after a humiliating 3-0 series loss to New Zealand last year, and they need to bat for three more sessions to avoid another loss.India had been unbeaten in home Test series for 12 years before being swept by the Black Caps.The highest successful run chase in Test cricket was West Indies’ 418 against Australia in 2003. India’s highest chase was 406 against West Indies in 1976.Sai Sudharsan (2) and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav (4) were battling for survival when bad light ended play in the northeastern city, where the sun sets early.South Africa pace spearhead Marco Jansen dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal with a short delivery outside the off stump to have him caught behind for 13.Left-arm quick Jansen took his match tally to seven wickets after figures of 6-48 in India’s first innings, after also hitting 93 with the bat earlier in the game.Off-spinner Simon Harmer bowled KL Rahul for six with a sharp, spinning delivery which turned through the gate.- Draw will be ‘win’ -India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said the home team had their eyes set on surviving for a draw, despite needing to attempt the record run chase to salvage the series.”The ball would spin and bounce more on day five — that is expected,” said Jadeja.”But if we don’t give away a wicket in the first session then put pressure on the bowlers. It will be win-win for us if we bat out day five and save the Test.”South Africa earlier resumed on 26-0 after bundling out India for 201 on day three to lead by 288 on the first innings.They did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again to pile the misery on the hosts.Opener Ryan Rickelton hit three fours in the first session before he fell to Jadeja while attempting another hit over cover but was caught for 35.Jadeja bowled the other overnight batter, Aiden Markram, for 29, before fellow spinner Washington Sundar dismissed visiting captain Temba Bavuma for three.Stubbs put on 101 runs for the fourth wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who was on 49 when Jadeja broke through.The veteran trapped De Zorzi lbw to deny him his fifty, but Stubbs stood firm in a 180-ball stay peppered with nine fours and a six.Stubbs was the last man out when he was bowled by Jadeja, who took 4-62, attempting to hit a second six of the over to bring up a hundred.Bavuma immediately declared, leaving Wiaan Mulder unbeaten on 35.The Indian fielders looked tired during a South African innings that lasted for 78.3 overs, as disappointed home fans at a largely empty stadium waited for the agony to end.

Tristan Stubbs made 94 as South Africa declared their second innings on 260-5 to set India a record victory target of 549 and close in on a series win in the second Test on Tuesday.World Test champions South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0 and even a draw in Guwahati would seal their first series win in India since 2000.India suffered their fourth defeat in six home Tests in the opener in Kolkata and the hosts need to bat for more than three sessions to avoid another loss.The highest successful run chase in Test cricket was West Indies’ 418 against Australia in 2003. India’s highest was 406 against West Indies in 1976.Stubbs was the last man out as he fell bowled to Ravindra Jadeja (4-62) and South Africa declared in the final session on day four.Stubbs put on 101 runs for the fourth wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who made 49, until left-arm spinner Jadeja broke through.Jadeja had De Zorzi lbw but Stubbs stood firm to frustrate the Indian bowlers in a 180-ball stay peppered with nine fours and a six.South Africa resumed on 26-0 after bundling out India for 201 on day three to lead by 288 in the first innings.They did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again to pile the misery on the hosts.Left-handed opener Ryan Rickelton hit three fours in the first session before he fell to Jadeja while attempting another hit over cover but got caught out. He made 35.Jadeja bowled the other overnight batter, Aiden Markram, for 29 before fellow spinner Washington Sundar dismissed skipper Temba Bavuma for three.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government vowed Tuesday to “respond appropriately” to overnight border strikes it blamed on Pakistan that killed 10 people, as tensions soar following a suicide bombing in Peshawar a day earlier.”The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X.”As a result, nine children (five boys and four girls) and one woman were martyred” in Khost province.Air strikes targeting the border regions of Kunar and Paktika wounded another four civilians, he added.The raids were carried out by drones and aircraft, according to Mustaghfir Gurbuz, a spokesman for the governor of Khost.In Jige Mughalgai, near the Pakistan frontier, an AFP correspondent saw residents searching through the rubble of a collapsed house and preparing graves for victims.”The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this violation and reiterates that defending its airspace, territory, and people is its legitimate right, and it will respond appropriately at the right time,” Mujahid said in a separate statement.The Pakistani military did not comment on the strikes when contacted by AFP.The bombardment follows a suicide attack Monday that targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary force in Peshawar, killing three officers and wounding 11 others.No group has claimed responsibility, but state broadcaster PTV reported the attackers were Afghan nationals and President Asif Zardari blamed the “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij” — Islamabad’s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants it accuses of operating from Afghan soil.Another suicide blast outside a court in the Pakistan capital Islamabad this month killed 12 people and was claimed by a faction of the Pakistan Taliban, which shares the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.Islamabad blamed a militant cell which was “guided at every step by the… high command based in Afghanistan” for the capital attack.- Truce under strain -Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar held a press conference Tuesday focused on the Islamabad attack.He broadcast a video confession from one of the four suspects in custody, and said: “There is clear-cut evidence that TTA (Afghan Taliban) and TTP did it together, and the suicide bomber was a resident of Afghanistan.””Afghanistan is fully involved… and their soil is also involved. The people being sheltered there are also involved,” he added on live television, without mentioning the strikes in the neighbouring country.Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in 2021, and worsened after deadly border clashes in October that killed around 70 people on both sides.The fighting ended with a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but several rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul failed to produce a lasting deal, with security issues, especially Pakistan’s demand that Kabul curb TTP fighters proving a sticking point.Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, including the TTP, which has waged a bloody campaign against Pakistan for years. Kabul denies the charge and counters that Pakistan harbours groups hostile to Afghanistan and does not respect its sovereignty.Meanwhile, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned this week that thousands of containers remain stuck at the border, each incurring $150–$200 in daily charges, calling the economic burden “unbearable”.

India’s Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets but South Africa extended their lead to a formidable 395 as they closed in on a series win in the second Test on Tuesday.World Test champions South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0 and even a draw in Guwahati would seal a series victory, their first in India since 2000.India suffered their fourth defeat in six home Tests in the opener in Kolkata and the hosts would need to bat long to avoid another loss.The Proteas reached 107-3 at the first break after they lost three wickets in the morning session. Tristan Stubbs, on 14, and Tony de Zorzi, on 21, were at the crease.Play starts 30 minutes early in the northeastern city because of early sunsets with the order of intervals reversed, meaning the shorter tea comes before lunch.South Africa resumed on 26-0 after bundling out India for 201 on day three to lead by 288 in the first innings.They did not enforce the follow-on.Left-handed opener Ryan Rickelton hit three fours in the first session before he fell to Jadeja’s left-arm spin while attempting another hit over cover but got caught out. He made 35.Jadeja (2-20) bowled the other overnight batter, Aiden Markram, for 29 before fellow spinner Washington Sundar dismissed skipper Temba Bavuma for three.

Towering pace spearhead Marco Jansen took six wickets to put South Africa in sight of a first Test series win in India in 25 years after bundling out the hosts for 201 in the second match on Monday.Replying to South Africa’s 489, India were 288 behind in their first innings but the tourists did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again on day three in Guwahati.After winning the first Test in the two-match series in Kolkata, South Africa are closing on a first series win in India since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed in 2000.India are under massive pressure once more, having suffered their fourth defeat in six Tests at home in the first match.A dominant South Africa reached 26-0 at stumps to extend their lead to 314 in the second innings.Left-handed Ryan Rickelton, on 13, and Aiden Markram, on 12, were batting when bad light ended the day’s play in the northeastern city, where the sun sets early.Jansen, a left-arm quick, claimed his fourth five-wicket Test haul before wrapping up the Indian innings with his sixth strike of the day in the final session to return figures of 6-48.”Obviously a good day for the chaps and for myself in particular,” said Jansen.”I feel the spinners did a really good job when the ball wasn’t moving as much and there was a dead period at some stage. I really feel the spinners did a brilliant job and I’m just lucky to be the one who cashed in.”India slumped to 122-7 despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 58 as wickets kept tumbling on what still seems like a good pitch to bat on.- Shell-shocked India -Washington Sundar, who made 48, and fellow left-hander Kuldeep Yadav resisted in a partnership of 72 off 208 balls before off-spinner Simon Harmer struck to end Sundar’s defiance.Jansen then dismissed Kuldeep for 19 off 134 balls and Jasprit Bumrah for five to pack a shell-shocked India off in under three sessions.”There is quite a few ways you can play the game and it’s up to the individuals on what their plans are,” said Sundar. “We just back our plans but at times it doesn’t go our way.”On the pitch, Sundar said, “It’s a true wicket and not many days you get to bat on such tracks, especially in India. If you spend time there runs are for the taking.”Earlier, the left-handed Jaiswal lost overnight partner KL Rahul for 22 in the first hour of play before reaching his 13th Test half-century.Jaiswal used the sweep to good effect and took on the bowlers, hitting seven fours and one six until his departure off Harmer.Harmer had Sai Sudharsan caught at mid-wicket for 15 and Jansen removed Dhruv Jurel for a duck to further put India on the back foot at the first break.The 6ft 8ins (2.03 metres) tall Jansen, who made 93 in South Africa’s imposing first-innings total, used the bouncer to snare the Indian batters with Jurel falling to the pull off a short ball.Skipper Rishabh Pant fell caught behind for seven to Jansen soon after in the second session and the batting fell apart like nine pins.Aiden Markram took a stunning catch as he ran from second slip to take a one-handed diving catch to his right to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy off Jansen. Reddy made 10.