Team India is all set for another big overseas challenge as the Asian giants are all set to face South Africa in three-match Test series and as many ODIs. It is going to be a tough task for Virat Kohli and Co. as they have not won a Test series on South African soil and they will look to end the drought this time starting from December 26. However, the primary challenge for the team is to get over the off-field controversy which is hurting Indian cricket. Kohli’s explosive press conference on Wednesday, the BCCI has been under the scanner for not handling his sacking from ODI captaincy in the right way. Following his sacking, the rumours of Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s rift fueled up.
Former India cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi feels that the South Africa tour will be an acid test for head coach Rahul Dravid as he has to make Virat and Rohit stand together.
“He has a bigger challenge because of the recent controversies that have happened, to uplift the team after that. It is an acid test for Rahul Dravid. If we talk about Rohit and Virat, to make them stand together and get the partnership back if there is a difference of opinion between them, so Rahul will be addressing that first,” said Sodhi while speaking on the discussion at India News.
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Sodhi further warned the head coach about the South Africa bowling line-up as he claims that Rahul has to work a lot in the batting department.
“And this tour which will be in different conditions, how our batters excel in South Africa. South Africa have a good bowling line-up and Rahul Dravid will have to work a lot there. We have done well in the home series but now is the acid test. If Rahul can get his team to do well here, the great respect he has in the entire world as a player, it will grow a lot as a coach also. So yes, a big test for Team India and a very big Test for Rahul Dravid,” added Sodhi.
Also Read: ‘I Hope Fast Bowlers Can Give us 20 Wickets in Every Test Against SA’
Kohli was sacked from the position, earlier this month, and the day after that Ganguly claimed that BCCI had asked Kohli to not quit the T20I captaincy in September and the selectors had to drop him from the 50-overs captaincy as they wanted a single captain for white-ball formats. While Kohli had, however, contradicted Ganguly’s statement during his explosive press conference on Wednesday ahead of departure for the South Africa Test series.
The cricketing fraternity was left all confused after the skipper’s statement contradicted with the BCCI chief.
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