The big news: Rabada stars in Proteas win

South Africa beat Australia by 177 runs in the first Test in Perth on Monday. Needing six more wickets to win at the start of day five, the Proteas had to withstand a stubborn Australian lower order.

Kagiso Rabada continued his rich form, ending with figures of 5/92 and the man-of-the-match award. Australia’s Usman Khawaja played a splendid knock to give his team a sniff of playing out a draw, but eventually fell for 97 to end all hopes.

Peter Nevill and Josh Hazlewood put up a resilient show for the eighth wicket, notching up 65 runs. However, they could only delay the inevitable as Australia were bowled out for 361. Australia will have to regroup as they head into the second Test match in Hobart on November 12.

Other top stories

  1. Sri Lanka were finally bowled out for 504 in the second Test against Zimbabwe in Harare. Centuries from Dhananjaya de Silva and Asela Gunaratne to the Lankans past 500. Zimbabwe, however, were 126/2 with Brian Chari and Craig Ervine unbeaten on 60 respectively.
  2. All-rounder Kieron Pollard has been denied a No-Objection Certificate by the West Indies Cricket Board to compete in South Africa’s Ram Slam T20 challenge. Pollard, who signed a two-year contract last season with Cape Cobras, was informed of the decision on November 3, reported by ESPNcricinfo.
  3. Australia’s Peter Siddle will be sent for scans as the fast bowler complained of back soreness during the first Test against South Africa in Perth. Siddle's back complaint is not good news for Australia as he recently returned to the team after spending the entire southern winter in rehabilitation from a back injury suffered during the tour to New Zealand in February.
  4. The Delhi High Court on Monday cracked the whip on the Delhi and District Cricket Association for its decision to dismiss the three selectors who had been appointed by the court-appointed observer Justice Mukul Mudgal. The court said it amounted to contempt and the cricket body had again "crossed its limit".
  5. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that he would not play England seamer James Anderson against the Indians in the upcoming five-Test series if he was to make the call. "It's not the same Anderson as 2012," Ganguly told ESPNcricinfo. "He has lost a bit of pace. I think Stuart Broad and Steven Finn and Ben Stokes [will be more effective] because you will need a bit of pace in these conditions to get that ball to reverse."
  6. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu beat Vidarbha and Baroda respectively in their Ranji Trophy encounters on day three. Punjab, too, were within touching distance of a win as they need only 51 runs to beat Uttar Pradesh. Tamil Nadu registered a huge win, beating Baroda by an innings and 44 runs.