Proteas need strong start against India, says former captain Faf Du Plessis

If the Proteas are to be taken seriously as World Test Champions, they will need to put in a positive showing in the series against India, starting at Eden Gardens on Friday. They will only be able to do so by starting on the front foot, according to former captain Faf du Plessis.

“It’s (India) a tough place to come and play cricket. Your best chance is when you start the series well and you get a little bit of confidence that you have got runs under your belt and you put the conditions a little bit out of your head. Then the rest of the series would feel easier,” Du Plessis said in Mumbai at the Betway SA20 India Day.

Du Plessis knows very well how challenging an Indian tour can become. He was at the helm of the Proteas’ sinking ship on the last tour here back in 2019, when his charges were whitewashed 3-0, after a poor start in the first Test.

India’s openers Mayank Agarwal (215) and Rohit Sharma (176) set the tone for the series with a 317-run opening stand that set up the home team’s mammoth 502/7 declared, and although the Proteas responded with a credible 431, courtesy of centuries from Dean Elgar (160) and Quinton de Kock (111), it was not enough to prevent a 203-run defeat. 

It was a slippery slope from thereon as the Proteas lost the next two Tests by an innings. 

But Du Plessis feels Temba Bavuma’s side will be better prepared after recently playing a two-match series in Pakistan in similar conditions. 

“The guys have played really well in the subcontinent in the last 12 or 14 months and they’ve gone to Pakistan and they’ve played well,” he said.

“It’s confidence. Sport has everything to do with it. It’s in your head basically. You walk into the field. You feel like you can overcome any situation that you are confronted with.

 “So, South Africa would arrive in India with confidence, as a team that has played well, they are the No 1 Test team in the world. So that means a lot. It’s great that we’re coming here with it. But the first Test will be very important for the series.”