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Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he knew his hamstring was close to breaking point before he tore it at the start of the season.

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De Bruyne reveals hamstring painBelgian knew he was at risk of big injuryMidfielder made triumphant return to actionWHAT HAPPENED?

De Bruyne made his first appearance in almost five months when he came off the bench in the 5-0 hammering of Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup, after undergoing surgery in August to treat his ruptured hamstring. He took little time to get his first assist of the season, setting up Jeremy Doku. The Belgian spoke of his joy at returning to action after the game and admitted it was only a matter of time before he seriously injured the hamstring, which he also aggravated during the Champions League final.

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"I had three hamstrings [injuries] in a row but they were nowhere near the same place. I had so much scar tissue that it could snap at any moment," De Bruyne told reporters. "People said I returned too quickly but when you train three weeks in a row without any issue it was fine. I played against Arsenal for 40 minutes or so but then after Burnley it just needed to be done."

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City coped well without De Bruyne, winning their first six Premier League games of the season before having a brief slump in form. But they are now clicking into gear again and his return comes just as they are preparing their assault on the Premier League title and looking to repeat their incredible success of last season. De Bruyne revealed how hard it was to watch City's games while he was recovering.

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'I DON'T LIKE IT'

"No. I can watch whatever football and I watched every game but I don't like it," De Bruyne added. "They've obviously been alright. After the year we had last year there will be ups and downs but most of the games except for Villa and maybe Wolves we did fairly well. We are there with the other teams. If you're here with all the teams around you're not going to be far away. We are where we need to be, but we need to try and continue that."

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has been told his career at the club is over following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival.

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Casemiro currently out injured Has not played since start of NovemberFuture at Manchester United questionedWHAT HAPPENED?

Casemiro's future at Manchester United has come under scrutiny after a loss of form for the Red Devils this season. The club are thought to be willing to part ways with the Brazilian, who has been sidelined through injury since the beginning of November. Casemiro is expected to return to fitness in January but has been told he has no future at the club by television presenter Richard Keys.

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Keys was asked by fellow presenter Andy Grey if the midfielder should still be starter at United and responded with a firm "No, his career is over there."

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Manchester United splashed out £60 million ($70m) to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid, bringing in the midfielder at the age of 30 on a four-year deal. The Brazilian enjoyed a strong first season, and scored in the Carabao Cup final win, but there will be many fans who question the wisdom of investing such a large amount in a player heading towards the end of his career.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

Casemiro is due to return to action in 2024 and Ten Hag will be hoping he can get back to his best form for the Red Devils and help the club finish what has been a disappointing season so far on a high. The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but it remains to be seen if any offers will arrive in the January transfer window.

France U-21 international Rayan Cherki has been made available by Lyon for €20 million after falling out of favour for the struggling French side.

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Lyon set €20 million (£17m/$22m) price tagHas made 14 appearances for French side this seasonBecome a regular for Thierry Henry's France U21sWHAT HAPPENED?

Lyon are willing to sell their playmaker this winter, just 12 months after spurning interest from both Chelsea and PSG. According to , the 7-time Ligue 1 Champions have set an asking price of €20m — although they are hoping for a higher fee for a promising young talent.

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Cherki was tagged as a future star as little as six months ago, and has been chased by Chelsea, PSG and West Ham at various points over the last 12 months. But he has failed to build on his potential this year, registering just one assist for a Lyon side who could face a shock relegation from Ligue 1.

WHAT FABIO GROSSO SAID

The former Lyon manager was critical of Cherki last month, seeming to rubbish the playmaker's potential in a press conference: "Is he a special player? He’s a player; he’s not a special player. He’s a player like any other, albeit with some additional qualities. But it’s not just technical qualities that matter; there are mental and athletic qualities as well. He possesses enormous technical abilities, but he needs to work on the others.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHERKI?

The 20-year-old will hope to be involved as Lyon take on Toulouse. Whether he remains at the club beyond the next two months remains to be seen, with PSG and Chelsea likely to battle it out for his signature if he is allowed to leave.

The Supreme Court of India has asked former BCCI president Anurag Thakur to tender an “unconditional, unequivocal” and “categorical” apology to get relief from the contempt proceedings initiated against him

PTI08-Jul-2017The Supreme Court of India has asked former BCCI president Anurag Thakur to tender an “unconditional, unequivocal” and “categorical” apology to get relief from the contempt proceedings initiated against him.A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud made it clear that it was not going to consider Thakur’s earlier affidavit of apology and asked him to file a “one-page short affidavit” tendering unconditional apology.”We will grant you one more opportunity,” the bench said. “We suggest that you file a one-page affidavit in categorical language that you tender an unequivocal and unconditional apology for the misinformation or miscommunication that happened.”The court also asked Thakur to be present for its next hearing on July 14 to tender the apology. The bench indicated that it was willing to accept the apology and close the contempt proceedings against him.Senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for Thakur, said though his client was willing to tender an unconditional apology, he had a very good case on merit through which it can be proved that he did no wrong.Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae (friend of court) in the matter said if the court is magnanimous in granting pardon to Thakur, then he has nothing to say, but the apology should be unqualified and explicit in terms. The bench, however, said it would not go into the merit of the case.The court had initiated contempt proceedings against Thakur on January 2 this year for filing a false affidavit over writing to the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, asking for a letter stating whether the appointment of an official from the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office would amount to governmental interference. The ICC does not permit government interference in the functioning of its member boards.”The conduct of the President of BCCI in seeking a letter from the President of ICC in August 2016, after the final judgement and Order of this Court, is nothing but an attempt on the part of the head of BCCI to evade complying with the Order of this Court,” the court had said while issuing a showcause notice to Thakur.Coming down heavily on the defiant BCCI brass, the Supreme Court had removed Thakur and Ajay Shirke as the president and the secretary for “obstructing” and “impeding” its directions for overhauling governance in the board. It had also appointed a Committee of Administrators to oversee BCCI’s functions.Thakur had, on March 6, tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” before the Supreme Court and said he had never intended to file any false information. His affidavit explained the circumstances under which the averments made by him led to the initiation of contempt proceedings.

Aston Villa are plotting a swoop to bring Sevilla star Yassine Bounou to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Yassine Bounou?

Bounou or 'Bono' is a goalkeeper who currently plays his football at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, having permanently moved there back in 2020 following a successful loan spell from Girona, as per Transfermarkt, and despite not being Jose Luis Mendilibar’s official number one, he’s a regular feature of his first-team.

In La Liga last season, the 32-year-old started 26 out of the 38 games so was his largely manager’s first-choice between the sticks, but it’s not just his consistent and impressive performances for his club that have attracted interest, more so on the international stage.

Back at the 2022 World Cup, the Morrocan was one of the standout stars for his nation and he helped to guide them all the way to the semi-finals of the major tournament, most notably with his heroics in the decisive penalty shootout against Spain, where he saved two spot-kicks, and this form has grabbed the attention of Unai Emery in the Midlands.

Are Aston Villa signing Bounou?

According to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Bounou “could end up” at Aston Villa this summer. Sevilla’s shot-stopper “has said no” to a “rich offer” from Saudi Arabia as there could be a “crossover” with his side’s former boss.

Emery himself would personally “like to sign” the goalkeeper as a potential successor for Emiliano Martinez, who won't be short of suitors should he leave, but how much it would cost to prise him away from his club or if he would be open to the switch yet remains to be seen.

Where would Bounou fit in under Emery?

Ever since Argentina were crowned World Cup winners last year, Martinez has been heavily linked with a departure to more high-profile clubs in the Premier League – including Manchester United and Chelsea – so Emery will need a replacement should he depart, and Bono could be the perfect successor.

Sevilla’s 6 foot 4 colossus, who pockets £49k-per-week, kept five clean sheets from 25 La Liga outings last season and made a total of 66 saves from 106 shots on target against, so he isn’t afraid to come out on the net and put his body on the line to clear the danger for his side.

He's also shone on the European stage, making “monster” saves, as dubbed by CBS reporter Ives Galarcep, on route to a Europa League winners medal, and that experience could be vital for Villa this season.

The Montreal native has an extremely strong range of passing having successfully completed 100% of his short-length dispatches and 97.7% of his medium-length attempts last season, so he clearly has an eye for picking out balls to his outfield players and attempting to start off moves from the back in the hope of creating chances.

Finally, Bono has not only previously been named the Goalkeeper of the Season but he will know exactly what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level having twice won the Europa League, so he could help to create the mentality needed to come out on top against more difficult opponents overseas.

The PCB has invited bids for a new franchise in the third season of the Pakistan Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2017

The PCB has invited bids for a new franchise in the third season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The deadline for the submission of both the financial and technical proposals has been set for May 30, while the financial bids will open the next day.The first two seasons of the PSL had five franchises: Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi. The details of the sixth franchise are yet to be revealed by the PSL management, but the board revealed that five regions had been shortlisted on provincial representation and domestic cricket ranking: Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali, FATA (KP), Faisalabad and Multan.The PCB had considered the prospect of adding a new team after the first season but a contract between the PCB and the five franchises meant the expansion could take place only after the second season.In 2016, Sethi had floated an idea to have a Kashmir team for the second season, but it was rejected after opposition from some of the current franchises on financial grounds and the potential for controversy given Kashmir’s sensitive status vis-a-vis India. The opposition from the franchises was centered around the potential cut in their share of the central revenue pool. After the inaugural edition, over 70% of the revenue was split equally among the five franchises and the percentage would have been higher had the tournament been held in Pakistan instead of the UAE.

Through strong concentration and sure-footed technique, the Australian duo staved off India and ensured the Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout remained locked at 1-1

The Report by Daniel Brettig20-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:04

Chappell: This is like a win for Australia

Thirty minutes before lunch, Peter Handscomb joined Shaun Marsh amid a Ranchi tumult. Their captain Steven Smith had just shouldered arms to let Ravindra Jadeja bowl him, symptomatic of a tired mind, the over after Matt Renshaw had also fallen. Australia were still 89 runs short of making India bat again; the hosts were circling hungrily.Five hours later, Handscomb was still there and Marsh not long departed. The Test match was drawn, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy bout remained locked at 1-1. Through batting of commendable calm and sure-footed technique, the Australian duo had thwarted India in a manner that will be a source of enormous satisfaction to the tourists. By getting out of a predicament few expected them to survive, they took the series to its final match.Equally, India will be left to ponder why they were unable to close out this match in the manner of others during this elongated home season after the sublime innings by Cheteshwar Pujara. Certainly the Ranchi pitch stayed playable, but R Ashwin was unable to find a way through the Australian batsmen to provide the counterpoint to Jadeja’s danger. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav both bowled useful spells, but could not follow up Renshaw’s wicket.Ultimately, Australia’s selection of a sixth batsman in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh gave them the batting depth they needed, not only to make a decent first-innings total but also to wriggle out of trouble on the final day. Before this match the visitors had gone 38 Test innings without a fifth-wicket stand worth 100 or more. In Ranchi, they managed to do it twice. Marsh and Handscomb’s stand was worth 124, soaking up 62 priceless overs.Smith and Renshaw had begun simply trying to bat for as long as possible, taking occasional scoring opportunities but stripping their games of risk. India’s captain Virat Kohli began with Jadeja at one end and Yadav at the other, not calling on the offbreak’s of the world’s No. 1 ranked bowler Ashwin until the ball had lost much of its earlier hardness.The plan to Smith appeared to be bowling wide of the stumps while trying to test the Australian captain’s patience. He was comfortable in leaving plenty of balls alone while scoring from the occasional ball that strayed onto the stumps. Renshaw had a few awkward moments against Jadeja but overall held his shape well in dealing with the left-armer’s variation between sharp turn and skidding straight balls.Kohli replaced Yadav with Ishant, and he found a hint of movement from around the wicket. Renshaw’s decision to pull away from the first ball of the 29th over of the innings seemed to raise Ishant’s ire, and he hurled down a pair of bouncers in the same over to push the opener back, before thudding one into his front shin for the lbw verdict.Smith had been safe in padding away anything Jadeja served up from over the wicket, but next over he failed to get his front leg far enough down the pitch or in line and heard the sickening noise of the off stump tumbling over. That error put Cheteshwar Pujara’s enormous concentration in perspective, and left Marsh and Handscomb with much to do.Ishant Sharma and India had precious little to celebrate on the last day in Ranchi•Associated Press

There were plenty of reasons for Marsh and Handscomb to feel overwhelmed when the afternoon session began, but neither was in the mood to give anything away. Their methods offered a contrast of left and right, plus Handscomb’s penchant for getting down the pitch versus Marsh’s long stride down the wicket and outside off stump.A key over arrived midway through the session when Handscomb took 13 from an Ashwin over, compelling Kohli to take him out of the attack and switch Jadeja away from the end from which he had found spiteful turn to defeat David Warner and Nathan Lyon on the penultimate evening.Handscomb and Marsh continued to accumulate either side of the interval, neither batsman doing anything outlandish but simply showing strong concentration and tight technique to frustrate the hosts, who had seemed so confident of victory little more than two hours before.A pair of lbw appeals were referred by India but the day was going with Australia: Handscomb was struck on the back foot but the ball was not striking enough of the bails to avoid being deemed too high, and Marsh’s miss of a flatter Ashwin delivery was not fatal because the ball had not quite straightened enough to strike leg stump squarely.Both batsmen went on to half centuries and negotiated the early passages with the second new ball – India’s last real hope of securing the rush of wickets they needed. Finally, Jadeja added a fourth victim when Marsh bunted a catch to short leg, and Glenn Maxwell soon squeezed Ashwin to silly point. But by then the match had all but petered out.Kohli kept his men going beyond a point that others might not have, perhaps still believing in a miracle. Handscomb, though, was unperturbed, leaving Kohli to finally seek his hand in a gesture of concession and so send these sides to Dharamsala for the decider.

South Africa’s bowling coach believes Keshav Maharaj’s economical bowling makes him the ideal foil to a pace attack that could also include Wayne Parnell

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg09-Jan-2017

South Africa may resist the temptation to play an all-pace attack on what is certain to be a spicy Wanderers surface in the third Test against Sri Lanka, which starts from Thursday. Substantial rain in the lead-up to the match resulted in the pitch being prepared under a tent during the weekend, but with skies set to clear a little over the next two days, South Africa will weigh up their options carefully as they go in search of a whitewash.”We need to wait until the last minute,” Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach said. “The groundsman says there is a lot of grass on the wicket but the weather could change and at the last minute he could take the grass off. But we’re not scared of going in with a spinner.”Both Test captain Faf du Plessis and coach Russell Domingo have long been in favour of including a spinner in the team, especially if that spinner can hold one end for long periods of time to allow the quicks to rotate from the other. In Dane Piedt, South Africa were not quite sure they had that – and they have since sent him back to the franchise system to tighten up – but in Keshav Maharaj, they are more convinced they do. “Keshav is economical, he does hold up an end,” Langeveldt said. “When we were playing well in Australia, we were holding up both ends and it gave KG (Kagiso Rabada) the freedom to attack the stumps more.”On Rabada’s home ground, he is likely to be given even more of a license to attack, especially now that he has found the rhythm that was lacking in the first Test, which makes Maharaj’s chance of playing higher. “This wicket actually suits KG a bit more with the extra bounce. He loves bowling in Johannesburg – in a first-class game he got 13 wickets here,” Langeveldt remembered.Wayne Parnell has had two solid seasons in the franchise system, working on consistency in terms of game time and bowling•AFP

That does not necessarily mean Rabada will take the new ball. Langeveldt indicated he is more in favour of Wayne Parnell opening the bowling with Vernon Philander, as he has done for his franchise, Cape Cobras. “I would tend to go with the left-armer. He brings something different, gets a bit of shape back into the right-hander and does swing the ball up front,” Langeveldt sad.Langeveldt’s comments also suggest rookie inclusion Duanne Olivier will have to wait for his first cap because Parnell, who was in the squad for the first two Tests but did not play, could get the nod ahead of him in a three-pronged pace pack.Since last playing a Test almost three years ago in March 2014, Parnell has worked specifically on consistency, both in game time and bowling terms. Before that, Parnell played sporadically on the domestic circuit because he was often a non-playing member of the South African touring party and he had a reputation for being wayward with the ball. After two solid seasons in the franchise system, in which Parnell has also made changes to his action, Langeveldt is excited to see what he can do. “It’s going to be a challenge to see what Wayne has to offer. Can we get him to be more consistent in his lengths? Test cricket is all about getting the ball in the right area,” Langeveldt said.Morne Morkel is stil nursing a back injury but will play a List A match later this month to determine his availability for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Even if Parnell slots straight in and Olivier returns to the Knights with only a training session or two to show for his maiden call-up, Langeveldt has provided an assurance that Olivier will come up for consideration again soon, especially as South Africa rebuild from Kyle Abbott’s Kolpak-induced exit. “It’s an exciting time. We’ve had it in previous years where guys have left to play Kolpak cricket and it’s going to be a challenge. But we have to look at what our next line of players is. There are a few young and upcoming bowlers in the A side, but international cricket is a big step for them. We have to invest in them in the next couple of months.”The leap a player has to make from the first-class set-up to the international stage is considerable and that may be why South Africa want Olivier around the camp for a little longer before they unleash him. “There’s a huge difference. We saw that when Dale and Vernon were injured and we played against England. We saw the shortcomings and saw the difference in length,” Langeveldt said, referring to last summer when South Africa tried everyone from Chris Morris to Hardus Viljoen, without success, to fill in for their spearheads. “In first-class cricket if you bowl full and straight and fast you will get wickets. Once a guy gets to the international [level], it’s a whole new ball game.”Du Plessis has also spoken of the importance of experience in a Test attack. That brings into question how desperate South Africa are to have Morne Morkel back. Morkel is still nursing a back injury sustained at the CPL. “Morne Morkel is always going to be in the pecking order. He’s probably next in line when he’s not injured. He brings a whole different dimension to our attack when he’s around,” Langeveldt said.Morkel trained with the squad at Newlands last week and will play a List A match for provincial side Northerns on January 22 to determine his availability for the third T20 against Sri Lanka and the ODIs that follow. Should Morkel be declared fully fit, Langeveldt believes he is “probably going to be in our one-day set-up”, and will likely also come into consideration for the Tests against New Zealand and England later this year.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe surface in Dubai was cracked, but there seemed to be more cracks in the batting line-up of the World T20 champions. Imad Wasim exploited all those cracks and rolled West Indies over for 115. In the process, the left-arm spinning allrounder became only the second Pakistan bowler, after Umar Gul, to take a five-for in T20Is. Pakistan then merrily skipped to the target with 34 balls to spare to hint at a white-ball revival, having secured their second successive nine-wicket win in T20Is.The portents were clear from the first over, after Pakistan had opted to bowl. Taking the new ball, Wasim had Evin Lewis top-edging a catch to deep midwicket. In his next over, he accounted for Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels to leave West Indies at 16 for 3. A raft of balls fizzed through and thudded into the pad, drawing appeals from an ever-present slip and captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Looking at the scorecard, it may have appeared that Wasim was bowling magic balls. Truth be told, he didn’t turn them much. Instead, he relied on accuracy and drift to run through West Indies.Fletcher attempted a low-percentage slog across the line and was bowled. Samuels’ technique of camping back in the crease was exposed again when he was trapped plumb in front by a full slider. Wasim alternated between a good length and a full length, and kept attacking the stumps. West Indies kept losing wickets.Mohammad Nawaz, the other left-arm spinner, joined the fun when Johnson Charles stepped away outside leg and missed a fast, skiddy delivery. Debutant Nicholas Pooran guided Hasan Ali, the medium-fast bowler, behind in the next over, before Wasim returned and stabbed away at West Indies.When Wasim dismissed Carlos ‘remember the name’ Brathwaite, he ensured his name would be remembered too, as he became the first Pakistan spinner to pick up a five-wicket haul in T20Is. He finished with figures of 4-0-14-5. He had only bowled only one genuine loose ball: a half-tracker, which was square-cut for four by Samuels.At 48 for 8 in 12 overs, following the run-out of Sunil Narine, West Indies were in danger of being bowled out for their lowest T20I score. Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor, however, strung together 66, the highest ninth-wicket partnership in T20Is.Taylor first upset Pakistan’s rhythm when he raced down the track and lofted Nawaz straight over his head for the first six of the match. Bravo, becalmed till then, drove Sohail Tanvir inside-out over extra-cover for six and followed it with a flicked four to rejuvenate the innings.They hit a higher gear when they took three fours in the 16th over, bowled by Ali. This meant West Indies passed their previous-lowest score of 79. Tanvir, however, ended the stand when he yorked Taylor for a run-a-ball 21. He ended the innings when he undid Bravo for 55 with a legcutter three balls later. With only Bravo and Taylor logging double-digit scores, the recovery would not be prove enough for West Indies.Sharjeel Khan set Pakistan’s modest chase in motion with three fours and a six before his old enemy resurfaced: tendency to pull balls that aren’t short enough. He was bowled by a length-ball dart from Samuel Badree for 22, but the wicket only served to alter the margin of victory rather than provide West Indies with any real hope.The advent of dew did not help West Indies’ cause either. Their misery was compounded by slipshod fielding. Taylor dropped Babar Azam on 12 at the edge of the long-leg boundary. Azam proceeded to seal the chase with back-to-back fours, the first of which snuck through Bravo’s legs to the third-man boundary and gave Azam his maiden T20I half-century.Opener Khalid Latif complemented him, contributing 30 in an unbroken 88-run stand for the second wicket. West Indies had managed all of 12 boundaries in their innings. Azam and Latif alone hit 13. While West Indies seemed to be missing their – Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons – Pakistan found their own amid roars of from the sizeable crowd.

South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month

Firdose Moonda14-Oct-2016South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month. After South Africa went through most of last summer sans Dale Steyn or Vernon Philander, they will travel to Australia with both bowlers plus three other frontline seamers, and du Plessis hopes that collectively, they can carry the team to victory.”For us to have a successful tour of Australia, Dale Steyn will be the guy to make or break that for us because he is a huge player in that Test team. I am confident he will have a really good series,” du Plessis said. “His shoulder looks okay – that’s going to be the challenge. We need to make sure that he stays fit and he can bowl long periods of time. Test cricket is not just 10 overs, he will need to bowl 18 to 20 overs a day for the next month.”Steyn returned, after a broken shoulder kept him out of the England Test and ODI series in January-February, for the World T20, in which he played only two of South Africa’s four matches. He was left out of the triangular series in the Caribbean, officially rested but by his own admission dropped, and given permission to play in the NatWest T20 Blast instead. He took 11 wickets in five matches for Glamorgan and was then included in South Africa’s Test series against New Zealand, where his eight wickets in Centurion secured a series win.Although he has not looked his best with the white ball – he played four of the five ODIs against Australia for five wickets at 50.80 with an economy rate of 6.99 and received treatment on the shoulder throughout the series – Australia still considered Steyn remained a threat. “You’ve always got to respect Dale. He is a world-class bowler, a great athlete and you never want to upset him,” David Warner said. “He is a guy that can really get on top. He has this spark and this spell in him you’ve got to get through that and negate what he throws at you.”At Test level, du Plessis expects that will be even more difficult for the Australians to do. “Dale in Test cricket is a different breed. In one-day cricket, these things are going to happen. KG [Kagiso Rabada] as well, would be the first to say he didn’t bowl at his best. In Test cricket it’s about consistency. When Dale gets that red ball in his hand, he is just a different bowler. He is still our No.1 bowler in Test cricket.”South Africa will look to rise up the rankings again with hopes of having Morne Morkel back for the Tests•AFP

Rabada also played in four matches and took five wickets at 52.80 with an economy rate of 7.33. Both Steyn and Rabada were hurt by the game in Durban, where they conceded 96 and 86 runs respectively. Overall, they were overshadowed by Kyle Abbott and Andile Phehlukwayo, who have come to the fore as part of South Africa’s future. “Our bowling attack needs to be fit if we are to win in Australia,” du Plessis said.The other members of South Africa’s pace pack have also had injury concerns. Philander’s rehabilitation from torn ankle ligaments kept him out of action for almost three months but he also made a comeback against New Zealand while Morne Morkel has been on the sidelines since July with a back problem. Morkel returned to action in club cricket in Pretoria earlier this month and is currently playing for Titans against Warriors in a first-class match as a fitness test ahead of the Australia tour. He bowled 26 overs in the first innings, and picked three wickets, so all indications are that he will travel to Australia.South Africa have won their last two Tests series in Australia, in 2008-09 and 2012-13, although in very different circumstances. Both times, they were coming off series wins in England. This time, they are in the midst of a rebuilding process and recognise that Australia pose a tougher challenge than before. They will hope to carry some of their ODI momentum into the Tests. “Against Australia, any mental edge you can get you will take,” du Plessis said. “It’s the one-percenters that matter.”