India head coach Rahul Dravid expressed his desire for players to make match-winning contributions during their month-long tour of South Africa. In the first match of the T20I series, India will take on South Africa in an all-format series starting on December 10 at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.
In an interview with Star Sports, Dravid said that batting in South African places, especially in Centurion and Johannesburg, is more challenging. He emphasised the importance of every Indian batter having a game plan for the series. India are scheduled to compete against the Proteas in three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches.
"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," said Dravid.
The head coach said that he wants Indian players to make match-winning contributions whenever they get a chance. India are set to face South Africa in a two-match Test series, commencing on December 26.
However, India have never won in an away Test series against South Africa.
"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," the 50-year-old said.
Before boarding the flight to South Africa, in a five-match T20I series, India secured a 4-1 victory over Australia following their loss in the ODI World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad on November 19.
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