4 months ago
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NEW DELHI: After 31 years of trying, India's head coach
Rahul Dravid
stated on Tuesday that his squad would not mind a little "luck" coming their way as they look to win a maiden
Test series
in
South Africa
and cross their "final frontier."
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India made their first trip to South Africa in 1992. Since then, they have gone on seven more visits, winning four Test matches, but they have not won a series.
Despite this, the Asian superpowers have won Test series in England, Australia, and New Zealand.
"We (have) come close a couple of times and we have played some good cricket here... just a few critical moments we have not been able to, maybe, get over the line, get the 34-40-50 runs that you probably need to be able to... to compete here," Dravid told Star Sports before the start of the opening Test at SuperSport Park.
The legendary batsman claimed that the way the team bowled during the previous visit, which took place two years ago, will give them a lot of confidence. In that tour, India lost the three-match rubber after blowing a 1-0 lead.
"Having said that, we looked at a lot of stuff and the way we bowled, I thought we bowled really well in the last series which gives us a lot of confidence that we have the ability to take 20 wickets here with the kind of attack that we have."
Dravid added, "You need a little bit of luck as well in these conditions, there are lot of plays and misses, you want to be the one playing and missing, and hopefully, the opposition edging those same ones. I think there is a little bit of luck involved.
"But, as long as you do your skills well and make sure that you are putting the ball in the right area, as batting with a certain level of discipline and patience when it is required, looking to capitalise when the ball gets a little bit softer and you are ahead of the game and recognising that you you are never 'in' in these kinds of conditions in South Africa...
"You might feel that you are in when batting on 34-40, but really, if you can convert that into a much more significant score that makes a big difference.
"So little things like that you need to get right against a really good team like South Africa, very strong team in these conditions, who know how to play well here. I hope that, over the course of the next two Test matches, we will be able to do that."
Regarding seamer
Prasidh Krishna
, who made his Test debut on Tuesday, Dravid was also questioned. He was described as a "promising prospect" by the head coach.
"Prasidh is a promising prospect, but we have to be realistic that this is his first Test match. He has not had a lot of first-class cricket to fall back on because of a number of reasons.
"But I am hoping he has a good game and enjoys himself. It is such a lovely moment when we give out a new cap to someone."
After winning and drawing with the West Indies in June of this year, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is now atop the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle points table.
However, this Test will serve as the hosts South Africa's first WTC cycle campaign opener.
India have played 23 Tests in South Africa since 1996, however they have only won four of them overall, and never more than once in a series.
Though they haven't won a series in the
Rainbow Nation
, India is still the third-most successful side in South Africa, behind England and Australia.
(With PTI inputs)
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