Team India is scheduled to face South Africa in a challenging tour comprising a three-match T20I series, a three-match ODI series, and a two-match Test series, commencing this Sunday. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian side in the first T20I in Durban.
Dravid emphasised the difficulty of batting on South African pitches, especially in Centurion and Johannesburg, highlighting the tendency of wickets to offer movement and variable bounce. Acknowledging the challenging conditions, Dravid stressed the importance of batters having a clear game plan and batting responsibly.
“It is a challenging place to bat; the statistics will tell you that. It is one of the more difficult places to bat in, especially up here in Centurion and Johannesburg. Every one of the batsmen will have a game plan as to how they want to go, as long as they are clear about it and they commit to it and are practising towards that, that’s fine,” Dravid stated in an interview with Star Sports.
Dravid emphasised the significance of mental toughness over physical toughness in adapting to the conditions in South Africa. He encouraged players to be clear about their individual game plans and execute them effectively.
Dravid’s focus is on ensuring that each player, once set, aims to make a match-winning contribution.
“We don’t expect everyone to play in the same way. We want them to be very clear about what works for them, and then be able to execute that. The boys, once they get out there, a lot of it is mental, and I guess, you know, we try and stress on the fact that if we do get going, if we get the opportunity to get set, they try to make it a match-winning contribution,” Dravid added.
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Team India is set to challenge South Africa in a two-match Test series starting on December 26, with the historical backdrop that India has never won an away Test series against South Africa.
Cricket enthusiasts await an exciting series as the Indian team aims to overcome this historical hurdle and leave a mark in the challenging conditions of South Africa.
(With inputs from IANS)