'Got to Leave Well': Faf du Plessis Explains How to Indian Batters Should Play in South Africa

India take on South Africa in two tests with a chance at history – a first ever series victory in a country where they have come close before only to fall agonisingly short.

South Africa have been victors in seven of India’s eight visits since the first in 1992 with one series drawn in 2010/11, but six of those successes have been by a single win margin.

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis feels Indian batters will have their work cut out on the bouncy pitches.

“It is the bounce. There is almost one full hand of extra bounce here, compared to what they usually face in India. They are used to hitting the ball on the up there, but with the bounce on offer and lateral movement, there is additional risk at play if you haven’t done it before and are not used to the lift. The key to doing well in South Africa is to leave well and be there for a long period,” Faf du Plessis was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Taking about the wicket at Centurion, where the first Test will be played, Du Plessis feels a result will be possible despite the possibility of rain, given the nature of the pitch.

“Generally on Day 1, there’s a bit of grass on the wicket, it’s a bit slow. So it seams around a little bit. Then day two and three are really good batting surfaces. But then again, it speeds up really quickly, and the cracks on the pitch start to get bigger with the bit of heat in the pitch. And then towards the end of day four and day five, there will be up and down bounce. So if you bat well in the first innings, it is always difficult to lose a Test in Centurion. But if you fail with the bat in the first innings, you are in for a long battle,” Du Plessis said.

Du Plessis added that how the teams bat will be key, given the fact that both nations boast of good pacers to be effective on South African pitches.

“Runs will be gold. When you have runs on the board, you will invariably have a good chance of winning. India obviously have a lot more experience than South Africa and they are a dangerous Test side. If they manage some runs, the bowlers can work around it,” Du Plessis added.