Indian bowlers have to make the batsmen drive through the off-side: Sourav Ganguly

The Indian team enjoyed a sensational 2017 under the tutelage of new skipper Virat Kohli. The Kohli-led India is currently on an eight-series winning streak. The Men in Blue won 37 matches across all formats in the previous year, the second most in a calendar year. But with most of the fixtures in the new year scheduled abroad, 2018 will be a stern test of Kohli’s batting and captaincy as well.

It is here that the 29-year-old needs to perform to establish himself as a leader of the game. They are currently prepping up for the upcoming challenge against South Africa. India will be facing the Proteas in a three-match Test series with the first match to be played at Newlands from January 5. The tour will be a tricky one, as India have never succeeded in winning a Test series in the rainbow nation.

And prior to the start of the series, former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined Virat Kohli will have to be a bit patient with his bowlers because it won’t be easy to take wickets on a regular basis in South Africa.

The Indian team will depend heavily on the performance of the pacers

The South Africans know the conditions better and will test the character of the Indian team. The bowlers who are used to striking often and the skipper whose plans have worked more often than not will have to change the approach. They will have to keep doing the right things and wait for the results to go their way.

Speaking to India Today, Sourav revealed, “Kohli has got to play a different game and hopefully Ravi (Shastri) will help him with the captaincy. Be a bit patient with the spinners, fast bowlers will have to do their job. Kohli has to find a way to pull it back whenever the game gets away from him. And most important is the lengths. Somebody needs to go to his ears and tell him that you need to be absolutely full with the length. Bowlers have to make the batsmen drive through the off-side.”

Extensive coverage of India’s tour of South Africa on CricTracker.com.