Rahul Dravid warns South Africa against preparing green-top pitches
Indian middle-order batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid has warned South Africa that the preparation of green top pitches for the three-match Test series between the sides, could backfire on the hosts, as the Indian pace attack has the ability to exploit
the conditions.
Dravid reached South Africa yesterday, along with skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gary-Kirsten-c58527 at the Claremont Club Academy for pre-tour preparations. He feels that the Test series against a formidable Proteas
side will be well fought, but he asserted that the South African curators would be making a big mistake if they prepared bowler friendly tracks during the series.
Dravid told reporters, "It will be a very competitive series, but I believe if our seam bowlers Zaheer, Ishant and Sreesanth can remain fit throughout the series, we will do very well."
The 37-year-old former Indian captain conceded that playing the South Africans at home would be a daunting task, and his team will have to play excellent cricket to return home triumphant.
On Wednesday the curator of Super Sport Park
Hilbert Smith denied suggestions that a green top wicket was being prepared for the opening Test match. Smith said that he would prepare a pitch that would offer some assistance to the bowlers early on day one of the match.
The Indian Test veteran, with an experience of 147 Tests including 31 centuries and 59 half-centuries, denied that it would be very difficult for the Indian batsman to beat South Africa in South Africa. Dravid said that the Indian team has
proven over the past few years that they can play their game anywhere in the world.
He said, "No, we have shown in the last four or five years that we can play everywhere. We did well in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and England and have even won a Test here in South Africa on the last tour."
The Test squad that will face South Africa includes a few batsmen like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 and Suresh Raina, who have never played the Proteas in their own backyard. However Dravid believes that South Africa will not be a new place for them,
as they have been to the country while playing for the junior sides, and are eager to prove their mettle this time as well.
"Today's guys play much more outside India. Most of them were in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 either on A-team or U-19 tours and some of them have even played in the Indian Premier League or the Champion's League," Dravid said.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 will start the tour with a Test match at Super Sport Park, Centurion on 16 December.
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