Indian pacers have to show the potential of taking 20 wickets in South Africa, feels Mohammad Kaif

The former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif opines that the current Indian Test team needs to learn tempo of playing in seam-friendly conditions. Virat Kohli led side is all set to embark on their tour to South Africa by the end of December. It is expected to be the toughest ever for the side as Proteas are bracing themselves with their fast-bowlers being fit for the series. However, Kaif feels that the Indian pacers have to prove their ability to scalp 20 wickets overseas in Tests.

India tried to simulate the similar conditions in the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka which they won by 1-0. But apart from Kolkata, none of the Nagpur and Delhi wickets produced green-tops. Though the fast-bowlers managed to pick more wickets than the spinning duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. It will also be interesting to see the way Kohli leads the side for the first time in South Africa.

Ashwin and Jadeja’s role will be less

Mohammad Kaif expressed his opinion about the Test team which will travel South Africa in the last week of December while speaking to Hindustan Times. “We hardly play on pitches like that (in Kolkata). We don’t know tempo of the game (in such conditions). We always see Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja operating from both ends and winning Tests for India. But now we are going abroad, we will get conditions like that in Kolkata,” he said.

Kaif was also delighted to see the Indian team going out of comfort zone at home to win Test matches. “I am happy that India are playing in pitches, at home, which assists pacers. In the Kolkata Test, we never took the name of Ashwin and Jadeja, though both of them were in the playing XI. It is good that Kohli wants to challenge his team with pace-friendly conditions. Test matches are all about learning from mistakes, and that too in every session. Bhuvneshwar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami could do that, which should be appreciated,” the 37-year-old added.

The veteran of 13 Tests and 125 ODIs also believed that the role of Jaddu and Ashwin will be even lesser in South Africa and the pacers will have to take over. “In overseas conditions, Ashwin and Jadeja’s role will be lesser. But the current pacers have shown the potential to take 20 wickets. Overseas whenever we have struggled, it’s not because of our batting, we have mostly done well in that department. But it is the bowlers who will win you matches,” he concluded.