After a near-perfect show in 2017 across all three formats, Team India is in no mood to take their foot off the pedestal in the three-Test series against South Africa which starts on January 5. Seen as the biggest test for the young and highly talented Indian team, Virat Kohli and Co. are looking to leave no stone unturned before their first biggest challenge begins.
In a series of videos posted by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on their official Twitter handle, the Indian players are seen practising hard in the nets before the first Test which will be played at the picturesque venue of Cape Town.
In one of the videos - Rohit Sharma who led India to a sensational series victory in ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka was seen knocking hard and playing some delectable strokes during the training session. The Mumbai batsman has been in sensational touch with the bat. In the recently-concluded home series against Sri Lanka, he entered the record books after smashing his third ODI double century at Mohali.
In another post, Hardik Pandya was also seen polishing off his batting skills and learning the art of leaving good balls. The wiry all-rounder is famous for his belligerent hitting in limited-overs cricket and is seen as a genuine all-round prospect for India in the longer format as well.
While all his team is putting extra efforts to prepare for this tough challenge, skipper Virat Kohli too was seen sharpening his fielding skills with some interesting on-field drills.
Before the start of the first Test, the Indian team received some mixed news as in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan has been declared fit by BCCI. Whereas, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been down with viral and is likely to miss the opening match.
