The Indian cricket team will be touring
South Africa and will play a series of one day international and test matches. The team which had a mediocre performance in the recently concluded Champions Trophy has its own share of worries before leaving for South Africa.
Out of form
A string of players such as Suresh Raina, Mohd Kaif and the captain Rahul Dravid himself are running out of form. This is not great news as batting is the strength of the present Indian cricket team. To add to this ‘mound of worries’, Yuvraj Singh one of the batting order’s mainstay has been ruled out for four to five months owing to an injury he suffered in his knee.
Lack of application
A few batsmen have failed to apply themselves to the situation of the game in the recent past. An example of this is opener Virender Sehwag. The flamboyant batsman had a forgettable outing in the Champions Trophy. He gets a chance to make ammends although this is not the easiest of the tours to do so. Conditions in South Africa will be averse to Sehwag’s kind of batting and it will require a great deal of application and resolve to make a big score. He will have to leave balls outside his off stump and refrain from flashing his razor like blade of his bat! The other issue he would have to sort out is his feet movement for that would be primal and crucial in countering the swing and movement of the ball through the air. If he continues with his wood like feet movement then nine out of ten times he would be caught leg before to Pollock and his likes.
Bowlers paradise
One would have to admit that this tour would be a haven for 
seam bowlers who show discipline. It won’t be a rewarding experience for those who would look to bowl fast but for those bowlers who bowl with discipline and aggression. A word of caution for Pathan and R. P Singh. In case they repeat the same errors and fail to learn from their mistakes then they would be taken to task by the likes of Kallis and Gibbs.
So, team India has a lot to think about and its plan of action seems to be cut out for sure. Play with pride, aggression and resolve is the mantra for team India. I hope they turn the tables around this time unlike the last time they toured South Africa.
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