Dale Steyn became South Africa's leading test wicket-taker and Duanne Olivier took career-best figures as Pakistan were bowled out for 181 on the opening day of the first test on Wednesday.

But the visitors mounted a spirited fightback with the ball, reducing South Africa to 127 for five at the close. Top scorer Themba Bavuma (38 not out) and nightwatchman Steyn (13 not out) will resume on day two with the hosts still trailing by 54 runs.

South Africa ripped through Pakistan after being asked to bowl by visiting captain Sarfraz Ahmed as Olivier, in the side for the injured Vernon Philander, claimed 6-37 with his pace and accuracy on a wicket already showing a variable bounce.

But the headlines will revolve around Steyn, who had opener Fakhar Zaman (12) caught at slip by Elgar to move to 422 test wickets, taking outright top spot on South Africa's all-time list ahead of Shaun Pollock.

He was hoisted on the shoulders of fast bowling partner Kagiso Rabada as the healthy Boxing Day crowd at Centurion Park gave him a standing ovation.

The visitors were in early trouble when Rabada (3-59) had Imam-ul-Haq trapped lbw for a duck.

After Steyn (1-66) had removed Zaman with the score on 17, Pakistan moved past 50 before Shan Masood (19) played the ball on to his own stumps off the impressive Olivier.

Asad Shafiq (seven) never looked comfortable at the crease and became Olivier’s second victim as Pakistan took lunch on 76 for four.

The fast bowler ripped through the middle order after the break, removing Azhar Ali (36), Sarfraz (0) and Mohammad Amir (1) in quick succession.

Pakistan were reduced to 111 for eight but mounted an excellent fightback through Babar Azam (71 from 79 balls) as he put on 67 for the ninth wicket with Hasan Ali (21 not out) before being caught at second slip by Faf du Plessis off Rabada.

Pakistan continued their turnaround with the ball as they reduced the home side to 43 for four when Shaheen Afridi (2-36) took the wickets of Dean Elgar (22) and home captain Du Plessis (0) off successive deliveries, both off the edge of the bat.

Aiden Markram (12) and struggling Hashim Amla (8) also fell to high-quality fast bowling from Hasan and Amir, who picked up the wicket of Theunis de Bruyn (29) late in the day.

Dale Steyn became South Africa's leading test wicket-taker and Duanne Olivier took career-best figures as Pakistan were bowled out for 181 on the opening day of the first test on Wednesday.

Dale Steyn became South Africa's leading test wicket-taker and Duanne Olivier took career-best figures as Pakistan were bowled out for 181 on the opening day of the first test on Wednesday. But the visitors mounted a spirited fightback with the ball, reducing South Africa to 127 for five at the close. Top scorer Themba Bavuma (38 not out) and nightwatchman Steyn (13 not out) will resume on day two with the hosts still trailing by 54 runs. South Africa ripped through Pakistan after being asked to bowl by visiting captain Sarfraz Ahmed as Olivier, in the side for the injured Vernon Philander, claimed 6-37 with his pace and accuracy on a wicket already showing a variable bounce. But the headlines will revolve around Steyn, who had opener Fakhar Zaman (12) caught at slip by Elgar to move to 422 test wickets, taking outright top spot on South Africa's all-time list ahead of Shaun Pollock. He was hoisted on the shoulders of fast bowling partner Kagiso Rabada as the healthy Boxing Day crowd at Centurion Park gave him a standing ovation. The visitors were in early trouble when Rabada (3-59) had Imam-ul-Haq trapped lbw for a duck. After Steyn (1-66) had removed Zaman with the score on 17, Pakistan moved past 50 before Shan Masood (19) played the ball on to his own stumps off the impressive Olivier. Asad Shafiq (seven) never looked comfortable at the crease and became Olivier’s second victim as Pakistan took lunch on 76 for four. The fast bowler ripped through the middle order after the break, removing Azhar Ali (36), Sarfraz (0) and Mohammad Amir (1) in quick succession. Pakistan were reduced to 111 for eight but mounted an excellent fightback through Babar Azam (71 from 79 balls) as he put on 67 for the ninth wicket with Hasan Ali (21 not out) before being caught at second slip by Faf du Plessis off Rabada. Pakistan continued their turnaround with the ball as they reduced the home side to 43 for four when Shaheen Afridi (2-36) took the wickets of Dean Elgar (22) and home captain Du Plessis (0) off successive deliveries, both off the edge of the bat. Aiden Markram (12) and struggling Hashim Amla (8) also fell to high-quality fast bowling from Hasan and Amir, who picked up the wicket of Theunis de Bruyn (29) late in the day.

South Africa's Steyn makes history, Olivier shines before Pakistan fightback

Firebrand fast bowler Dale Steyn will seek to become South Africa’s greatest wicket-taker in tests when they take on Pakistan in the first match of a three-game series at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Steyn is level with former all-rounder Shaun Pollock on 421 test wickets and, having played only six tests in the last three years due to injury, has been left tantalisingly close to capturing the outright top spot on the list for some time.

With injuries to seamers Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi, Steyn is likely to be given the new ball against Pakistan along with Kagiso Rabada on what is expected to be a lively wicket in Pretoria.

He will test the visiting batsman having returned to his express pace of old in recent limited-overs contests, where he impressed against Australia last month.

Captain Faf du Plessis told reporters this week that Steyn was the country’s greatest fast bowler and suggested that while the 2019 Cricket World Cup might be his limited-overs swansong, he still had a good few years of test cricket in him.

"Test matches are what really drive me to perform," Steyn recently told South African online publication Sport24. "If I can carry on playing test cricket for as long as possible that will be great.

"There is a plenty of T20 cricket going on at the moment because that is where the money is at but I think that people will always know that test cricket is the real deal. I love the red-ball game."

The loss of Philander, in particular, will add extra workload for Steyn, who is by far the most experienced seamer in the team, though the world’s leading test bowler, Rabada, could be the main threat.

Coach Ottis Gibson and Du Plessis will have to decide whether to play three seamers, with Duanne Olivier in line for a sixth test appearance, and spinner Keshav Maharaj, allowing them to field an extra batsman, or hand a first cap to Dane Paterson.

The latter option would give the team a long tail with Rabada having to bat at number seven, a role he has never played before.

There was a welcome return to form for stalwart stroke-maker Hashim Amla in domestic four-day cricket this week, with just a single half-century in his last 12 test innings having raised some questions about the future of the 35-year-old.

His excellent record against Pakistan, with two hundreds and eight half-centuries in 21 innings, should give him confidence, as will his runs in Pretoria where he averages 75.58 after 18 visits to the crease.

Pakistan, who have won only one test series out of 10 at home and away against South Africa, will have been buoyed up by their three-day run-out against an Invitational XI in the build-up to the first test, where Azhar Ali and Babar Azam made hundreds.

They have been well beaten on their previous two visits to Pretoria though, losing by seven wickets in 2007 and an innings and 18 runs five years ago.

Leading fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has also been rated as having only a 50 percent chance of playing in the test as he recovers from a shoulder injury picked up in October.

Firebrand fast bowler Dale Steyn will seek to become South Africa’s greatest wicket-taker in tests when they take on Pakistan in the first match of a three-game series at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Firebrand fast bowler Dale Steyn will seek to become South Africa’s greatest wicket-taker in tests when they take on Pakistan in the first match of a three-game series at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Wednesday. Steyn is level with former all-rounder Shaun Pollock on 421 test wickets and, having played only six tests in the last three years due to injury, has been left tantalisingly close to capturing the outright top spot on the list for some time. With injuries to seamers Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi, Steyn is likely to be given the new ball against Pakistan along with Kagiso Rabada on what is expected to be a lively wicket in Pretoria. He will test the visiting batsman having returned to his express pace of old in recent limited-overs contests, where he impressed against Australia last month. Captain Faf du Plessis told reporters this week that Steyn was the country’s greatest fast bowler and suggested that while the 2019 Cricket World Cup might be his limited-overs swansong, he still had a good few years of test cricket in him. "Test matches are what really drive me to perform," Steyn recently told South African online publication Sport24. "If I can carry on playing test cricket for as long as possible that will be great. "There is a plenty of T20 cricket going on at the moment because that is where the money is at but I think that people will always know that test cricket is the real deal. I love the red-ball game." The loss of Philander, in particular, will add extra workload for Steyn, who is by far the most experienced seamer in the team, though the world’s leading test bowler, Rabada, could be the main threat. Coach Ottis Gibson and Du Plessis will have to decide whether to play three seamers, with Duanne Olivier in line for a sixth test appearance, and spinner Keshav Maharaj, allowing them to field an extra batsman, or hand a first cap to Dane Paterson. The latter option would give the team a long tail with Rabada having to bat at number seven, a role he has never played before. There was a welcome return to form for stalwart stroke-maker Hashim Amla in domestic four-day cricket this week, with just a single half-century in his last 12 test innings having raised some questions about the future of the 35-year-old. His excellent record against Pakistan, with two hundreds and eight half-centuries in 21 innings, should give him confidence, as will his runs in Pretoria where he averages 75.58 after 18 visits to the crease. Pakistan, who have won only one test series out of 10 at home and away against South Africa, will have been buoyed up by their three-day run-out against an Invitational XI in the build-up to the first test, where Azhar Ali and Babar Azam made hundreds. They have been well beaten on their previous two visits to Pretoria though, losing by seven wickets in 2007 and an innings and 18 runs five years ago. Leading fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has also been rated as having only a 50 percent chance of playing in the test as he recovers from a shoulder injury picked up in October.

South Africa's Dale Steyn has Pakistan in his sights as he guns for long-awaited record

The day three play between India and South Africa was called off on Sunday after heavy rainfall continued to lash Cape Town.

After morning session was washed out, it was assumed that the teams could resume before the scheduled tea interval, as the rain stopped. But it was for less than half an hour.&nbsp;

On day 2, South Africa was able to build a sizeable second-innings lead after reaching 65 for the loss of two at stumps.&nbsp;

Hashim Amla and night-watchman Kagiso Rabada will seek tomorrow to extend the host&#39;s advantage of 142 runs with remaining eight wickets.

The South African seamers had bowled India out for 209 on a lively wicket offering plenty of assistance for the bowlers.

For India, Hardik Pandya played a blistering knock of 93 runs to save its drowning team which at one point were 92/7 after lunch. &nbsp;

The all-rounder proved his mettle by helping his team inch closer to South Africa&#39;s total of 286.&nbsp;

In the second innings, Hardik contributed with the ball as well by dismissing the Proteas openers at an early stage.&nbsp;

South Africa host India in three tests this month with the next two to be played in Pretoria and Johannesburg

The rain stopped in the day for less than half an hour

The day three play between India and South Africa was called off on Sunday after heavy rainfall continued to lash Cape Town. After morning session was washed out, it was assumed that the teams could resume before the scheduled tea interval, as the rain stopped. But it was for less than half an hour. On day 2, South Africa was able to build a sizeable second-innings lead after reaching 65 for the loss of two at stumps. Hashim Amla and night-watchman Kagiso Rabada will seek tomorrow to extend the host's advantage of 142 runs with remaining eight wickets. The South African seamers had bowled India out for 209 on a lively wicket offering plenty of assistance for the bowlers. For India, Hardik Pandya played a blistering knock of 93 runs to save its drowning team which at one point were 92/7 after lunch. The all-rounder proved his mettle by helping his team inch closer to South Africa's total of 286. In the second innings, Hardik contributed with the ball as well by dismissing the Proteas openers at an early stage. South Africa host India in three tests this month with the next two to be played in Pretoria and Johannesburg

India vs South Africa: Day 3 play called off due to rain

In a major setback for South Africa, Dale Steyn will not bowl for his team in the remaining first Test match and is likely to miss the remaining series against India also, due to the heel injury he suffered.&nbsp;

However, he can bat for his team if required.

The right-arm pacer had injured his left heel on the second day of the first test match at Newlands, Cape Town.

Minutes before lunch, Steyn landed awkwardly in the footholds, and then stopped, fiddled with his shoe and tossed the ball to Vernon Philander, who later completed the over.

The 34-year-old part-walked, part-jogged off the field and was immediately taken for scans, which revealed the extent of the damage.

Later, team manager Mohammed Moosajee confirmed that Steyn would not bowl again in the match.

&quot;As we all know that during Dale&#39;s 18th &nbsp;over, during his delivery stride, he unfortunately landed awkwardly in the footholes. This caused a significant strain to the foot, leading to tissue damage on the underside of the foot in the heel area,&quot; Moosajee said.&nbsp;

He further informed that Steyn would need an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks to be back in the game.&nbsp;

&quot;He is unlikely to bowl in this Test match, because the recovery period for this could be anything from four to six weeks which means he could be out for the series. But what we will do is get one of the leading ankle surgeons to have a look at him tomorrow to give us an opinion.&quot;

Steyn has taken two wickets so far in the first Test. &nbsp;The Proteas have been dominating the proceedings so far with 142 runs lead.&nbsp;

The third day of the test match did not start due to heavy showers and is unlikely to resume today. &nbsp;

However, he can bat for his team if required.

In a major setback for South Africa, Dale Steyn will not bowl for his team in the remaining first Test match and is likely to miss the remaining series against India also, due to the heel injury he suffered. However, he can bat for his team if required. The right-arm pacer had injured his left heel on the second day of the first test match at Newlands, Cape Town. Minutes before lunch, Steyn landed awkwardly in the footholds, and then stopped, fiddled with his shoe and tossed the ball to Vernon Philander, who later completed the over. The 34-year-old part-walked, part-jogged off the field and was immediately taken for scans, which revealed the extent of the damage. Later, team manager Mohammed Moosajee confirmed that Steyn would not bowl again in the match. "As we all know that during Dale's 18th over, during his delivery stride, he unfortunately landed awkwardly in the footholes. This caused a significant strain to the foot, leading to tissue damage on the underside of the foot in the heel area," Moosajee said. He further informed that Steyn would need an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks to be back in the game. "He is unlikely to bowl in this Test match, because the recovery period for this could be anything from four to six weeks which means he could be out for the series. But what we will do is get one of the leading ankle surgeons to have a look at him tomorrow to give us an opinion." Steyn has taken two wickets so far in the first Test. The Proteas have been dominating the proceedings so far with 142 runs lead. The third day of the test match did not start due to heavy showers and is unlikely to resume today.

Heel injury restricts Dale Steyn from bowling in first Test, likely to miss series

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/governments-hard-approach-in-kashmir-not-working-chidambaram-tweets-bjp-calls-him-pakistani-poodle-28799" target="_blank">Government&#39;s &#39;hard&#39; approach in Kashmir not working, Chidambaram tweets; BJP calls him &#39;Pakistani poodle&#39;</a>

Former union home minister P Chidambaram posted a total of nine tweets on Kashmir on Sunday -- the gist of his argument being that the government&#39;s &quot;hard, militaristic&quot; approach in the state was not working. &quot;From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-loudspeakers-in-religious-places-to-be-removed-28794" target="_blank">UP: Loudspeakers in religious places to be removed</a>

The Uttar Pradesh police was on Sunday directed to remove all loudspeakers present in public places, religious and otherwise, that have been installed without appropriate permission being sanctioned towards the same, in a bid to curb noise pollution caused by these.The order was issued following directions from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on the matter, citing the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-open-to-proposals-to-further-clean-up-political-funding-jaitley-28779">Government open to proposals to further clean up political funding: Jaitley</a>

The electoral bonds mechanism is a substantial improvement in transparency over the present system and the government is open to suggestions to further cleanse political funding, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today. In a Facebook post, Jaitley said the conventional practice of funding the political system was to take donations as well as undertake expenditures in cash.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengal-man-arrested-for-allegedly-stalking-sachin-tendulkars-daughter-28780">Bengal man arrested for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s daughter</a>

A 32-year-old man has been arrested in West Bengal for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s daughter Sara. News reports said Sunday that the man got hold of the Tendulkars&#39; landline number and made around 20 calls to it. In the calls, he passed lewd comments about Sara and even threatened to kidnap her. The reports identified the arrested man as Debkumar Maity, who is allegedly a college dropout.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/heel-injury-restricts-dale-steyn-from-bowling-in-first-test-likely-to-miss-series-28801" target="_blank">Heel injury restricts Dale Steyn from bowling in first test, likely to miss series</a>

In a major setback for South Africa, Dale Steyn will not bowl for his team in the remaining first Test match and is likely to miss the remaining series against India also, due to the heel injury he suffered.&nbsp;However, he can bat for his team if required. The right-arm pacer had injured his left heel on the second day of the first test match at Newlands, Cape Town.

Government's 'hard' approach in Kashmir not working, Chidambaram tweets; BJP calls him 'Pakistani poodle' Former union home minister P Chidambaram posted a total of nine tweets on Kashmir on Sunday -- the gist of his argument being that the government's "hard, militaristic" approach in the state was not working. "From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu & Kashmir," he said. UP: Loudspeakers in religious places to be removed The Uttar Pradesh police was on Sunday directed to remove all loudspeakers present in public places, religious and otherwise, that have been installed without appropriate permission being sanctioned towards the same, in a bid to curb noise pollution caused by these.The order was issued following directions from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on the matter, citing the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. Government open to proposals to further clean up political funding: Jaitley The electoral bonds mechanism is a substantial improvement in transparency over the present system and the government is open to suggestions to further cleanse political funding, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today. In a Facebook post, Jaitley said the conventional practice of funding the political system was to take donations as well as undertake expenditures in cash. Bengal man arrested for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar's daughter A 32-year-old man has been arrested in West Bengal for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar's daughter Sara. News reports said Sunday that the man got hold of the Tendulkars' landline number and made around 20 calls to it. In the calls, he passed lewd comments about Sara and even threatened to kidnap her. The reports identified the arrested man as Debkumar Maity, who is allegedly a college dropout. Heel injury restricts Dale Steyn from bowling in first test, likely to miss series In a major setback for South Africa, Dale Steyn will not bowl for his team in the remaining first Test match and is likely to miss the remaining series against India also, due to the heel injury he suffered. However, he can bat for his team if required. The right-arm pacer had injured his left heel on the second day of the first test match at Newlands, Cape Town.

WION Evening News Brief, January 7, 2018

South Africa&#39;s top trio AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander have made their long-awaited return to the Proteas Test squad.

The players were named in the 14-man squad for next week`s day-night, four-day Test match against Zimbabwe. &nbsp;

The match which will be played at the St. George&rsquo;s Park, Port Elizabeth, from December 26 to 29, serves as a warm-up for three home tests against India in January. &nbsp;

De Villiers&#39; played his last test against England in January 2016, after which he asked for time out from the long format of the game.&nbsp;

While Steyn was recovering from a serious shoulder injury suffered against Australia at Perth, a year ago.

Philander is also back in the squad after suffering an injury on tour to England in mid-year.

Captain Faf du Plessis, who is in the final stages of recovery from a shoulder operation, has also been named. 
&nbsp; 
Recently against Bangladesh, South Africa used six batsmen, two allrounders, two seamers and a spinner. 
&nbsp;

The players were named in the 14-man squad for next week`s Test match against Zimbabwe

South Africa's top trio AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander have made their long-awaited return to the Proteas Test squad. The players were named in the 14-man squad for next week`s day-night, four-day Test match against Zimbabwe. The match which will be played at the St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, from December 26 to 29, serves as a warm-up for three home tests against India in January. De Villiers' played his last test against England in January 2016, after which he asked for time out from the long format of the game. While Steyn was recovering from a serious shoulder injury suffered against Australia at Perth, a year ago. Philander is also back in the squad after suffering an injury on tour to England in mid-year. Captain Faf du Plessis, who is in the final stages of recovery from a shoulder operation, has also been named. Recently against Bangladesh, South Africa used six batsmen, two allrounders, two seamers and a spinner.

AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn back in South Africa Test squad

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