Rahul Dravid, ahead of the challenging South Africa Tests, emphasized the necessity for each Indian batsman to have a clear game plan tailored to the Proteas’ conditions.
Rahul Dravid, Team India’s head coach, anticipates a tough challenge for Indian batters in the imminent two-match Test series against South Africa, recognizing the formidable nature of batting conditions in the country. With India yet to secure a Test series victory in South Africa, breaking this streak presents a daunting task. Recently, Dravid’s contract extension by the BCCI signified the importance of the upcoming Proteas Test series as his primary test.
Having led India during their previous South African tour, which concluded in the hosts’ favor, Dravid emphasized the necessity for batsmen to prepare with clear game plans suited to the Proteas’ conditions, particularly highlighting the challenging batting conditions in Centurion and Johannesburg due to the variable nature of the wickets.
“So, 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. The wickets do tend to do a bit, and they tend to get up and down as well. 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 practicing towards that, that’s fine,” Dravid said in a conversation with Star Sports.
Dravid also highlighted the significance of the two Test matches within the World Test Championship cycle. Stressing individual player strengths, he highlighted the importance of clarity and execution, urging the team to focus on making impactful, match-winning contributions.
“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,” he concluded.
Last Updated on December 7, 2023
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