MUMBAI: India will define their place in cricket history
over the next 18 months with tours of South Africa, Australia and
England putting them to the test, the team’s coach Ravi Shastri said on
Wednesday.
The world’s number one-ranked Test side has
become invincible at home since losing a one-day and T20 series to South
Africa in 2015.
In a landmark tour of South Africa next
month they are looking for a record 10th straight Test series win. They
are currently level with Australia on nine straight series wins.
Former
all-rounder Shastri and captain Virat Kohli said the side are ready for
the challenge, which will be followed by tours of England and Australia
and then the World Cup.
Shastri stressed the importance of building the same squad around Kohli since the last tour of South Africa in 2013.
“That
experience will stand them in good stead, that’s for sure, because the
conditions will be testing,” he said. “This one and a half years will
define this Indian cricket team, and the whole team is aware of that.
“All I can say is that this will be a better cricket team after those 18 months.”
Kohli said the team is stronger than the last tour to South Africa when the Proteas won the two-match Test series 1-0.
“The
bowling has come a long way, the batting has come a long way, all the
guys are much more experienced now, but the hunger remains the same. We
still want to go back and try to do what we couldn’t do the last time.”
The
captain and star batsmen said India have been ‘relentless’ in their
performances against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh and England over
the past year.
“We don’t care if we draw or are one
game up or one game down, our intensity remains the same and that is
because of the fitness levels going up,” the newly-married Indian
skipper added.
Kohli also insisted that his wedding to
Bollywood star Anushka Sharma this month had not diverted him from the
mission ahead and that he is ‘mentally prepared’.
“Switching
back to cricket is not difficult at all because it’s in my blood like
it is for every other team member and the management.”
He added that he had not been inactive during the break.
“Obviously
I have been training to get back to playing in South Africa,” he said,
stressing his commitment to push the team to be their best.
India’s players have also taken ‘beautifully’ to changes he has introduced with Shastri to increase discipline, Kohli said.
India are due to play three Tests, six One-day Internationals and three T20 Internationals in South Africa.
The first Test starts in Cape Town on Jan 5.
