As India prepares for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has warned the Indian batters that the Proteas conditions will pose a significant challenge. South Africa has historically been a difficult place for touring teams to bat, and India has not won a Test series on South African soil since 2010.

Rahul Dravid, who recently had his contract as India’s head coach extended, acknowledged the daunting task ahead for his team. He emphasized the need for each batter to have a clear and well-defined game plan for the conditions they will face.

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“It’s a challenging place to bat. The statistics speak for themselves. It’s one of the more difficult places to bat, especially up here in Centurion and Johannesburg. The wickets do tend to play tricks, 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, commit to it, and practice towards that,” Rahul Dravid stated in an interview with Star Sports.

While the upcoming Test series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the full tour also includes ODIs and T20Is. However, Dravid emphasized that the focus will primarily be on the two Test matches.

“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. 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,” Rahul Dravid added.

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India’s batters will need to find ways to adapt to the challenging South African conditions and execute their game plans effectively if they want to end the drought and secure a Test series victory on South African soil.