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They must have read about it. They must have heard about it. They must have planned for it. Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla have played a Test there before. Nothing, though, can be preparation enough for an Indian comeback from the dead at Eden Gardens.

On Sunday, South Africa met the devil himself, and didn’t know what to do. They had reached 218 for 1 in 58 overs, via assured and quick centuries from Amla and debutant Alviro Petersen, when the famous Eden Gardens turnaround began. Eight wickets fell for 43 runs, Harbhajan Singh took three in two overs, VVS Laxman ran from first slip to short fine leg to take a catch, the crowd seemingly intimidated the batsmen, two of the middle-order batsmen just froze, AB de Villiers ran himself out, Zaheer Khan hit with a pick-up-and-throw, and the batsmen forgot about scoring runs.

Australia’s fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has questioned whether the current batch of fast men are more interested in looking good than looking after themselves properly, as Australia’s injury list keeps growing. Peter Siddle was the latest member of the pace attack to be sidelined by injury when a hamstring problem ruled him out of the Perth Test.

Siddle has joined Ben Hilfenhaus (knee tendonitis), Brett Lee (elbow), Stuart Clark (back) and Nathan Bracken (knee) on the casualty list, which has left Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson as the only Cricket Australia fast bowlers fit and available for Test cricket. Lillee, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame at the WACA on Thursday, said his observations led him to wonder if the bowlers were training appropriately.

Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed Pakistan captain for the Test tour of New Zealand later this month with Kamran Akmal as his deputy. The appointment came after Younis Khan sought a break from cricket following the ODI series defeat to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said.

“I have taken this decision after giving it serious thought,” Younis told AFP. “Since I am not in the best of form, I need rest and there is no personal grudge against anyone, that’s for sure. I want to tell my fans that I am not finished, I will come back. My country comes first, more than my family and more than myself.”

Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, Rashid Latif, has admitted he claimed a catch against Bangladesh batsman Alok Kapali in Multan in 2003 even though he knew he hadn’t taken it cleanly, according to media reports. Pakistan went on to win the Test by a slender one-wicket margin but Latif, then the captain, was banned for five games by the match referee for that incident.

Bangladesh were in a strong position in the third Test, having taken a first-innings lead of 106, and were 91 for 5 in the second innings when Kapali edged medium-pacer Yasir Ali to the wicketkeeper. Latif appeared to pull off a spectacular take flying in front of first slip but television replays showed the ball popping out of his gloves as he got up from the floor after rolling over twice.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is confident that it will have a new coach in place by the end of the year, in time for the home series against Bangladesh starting in early February. There were reports in New Zealand’s Sunday newspapers that John Wright was keen on the job and Duncan Fletcher has also expressed his interest in replacing Andy Moles.

John Dyson has also said he would be interested and the former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon is hoping to get the job again. There have even been suggestions from the former captain Martin Crowe that the current skipper Daniel Vettori should be allowed to guide the side without a coach in the long term.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur believes England may rue their decision to keep fast bowler Steve Harmison out of the touring party to South Africa this winter. Harmison, 31, who plays for Durham in the county circuit, was overlooked for the Test series beginning at Centurion on December 16, despite playing in the final two Tests of the successful Ashes campaign.

Shane Watson desperately craves a Test century and hopes he can sign off as an Ashes opener in style at The Oval next week. In his first three innings as a substitute Watson has scored 62, 53 and 51, adapting quickly to the role after a surprise promotion when Phillip Hughes was dropped before the game at Edgbaston.

Finally India and Pakistan played out a one-sided Twenty20 game. Filling in for Virender Sehwag as opener, Rohit Sharma continued to give India a combination dilemma and made the chase seem like an afternoon walk in a London park. A target of 159, with extra bowlers available by the virtue of this being a 13-a-side game, was by no means an easy one, but Gautam Gambhir and Rohit managed with the ease that belies the tension an India-Pakistan match brings.

Australia, spurred to a daunting total by a thumping opening partnership from Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, clinched a facile victory over Bangladesh in Nottingham. From the start it was apparent that Australia were going to dominate, what with Bangladesh’s medium-pacers leaking runs and Tamim Iqbal reprieving Haddin in the first over.

Haddin and Watson – who slammed a 21-ball half-century – made Bangladesh pay and though Mahmudullah’s four wickets ensured Australia didn’t post an even more mammoth total, the favourites clearly had enough runs. Bangladesh’s top order chased hard, but following Shakib Al Hasan’s dismissal for a sprightly 54 in the 14th over the wheels fell off.

Could the script have been any different from last year’s start for the Kolkata Knight Riders? Brendon McCullum’s intoxicating 158 had taken them to an enormous victory a year ago, but they were outplayed by an efficient Deccan Chargers outfit on a juicy pitch in Cape Town. It has been a weekend to savour for bowlers, and each member of Deccan’s attack did their bit to leave Kolkata scrambling to reach triple-digits. Herschelle Gibbs, coming off a triumphant series against Australia, and Rohit Sharma, back in the country where he made his name in 2007, then made sure Deccan’s campaign didn’t begin in the dismal way last season’s had.