India can take on South Africa in all departments: Dravid

Mumbai, Nov 13: India captain Rahul Dravid today exuded confidence that his team have the bowling as well as the batting to counter any threat posed by the South African team on their tour there.

Team India will be leaving for South Africa by an early morning flight tomorrow, to play a five-match ODI series plus a three-Test series during their nearly two-month long tour. The first ODI match will be held on November 19.

Dravid along with coach Greg Chappell, was addressing mediapersons here.

Dravid further said that the South Africa batting revolves around captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis and observed ''If we can put pressure on these two then we stand a very good chance of doing well during the tour.'' The Indian captain also did not feel that the bouncY wickets there would pose that much of a threat for the Indian batsmen.

''I would rather call it a challenge for the batsmen to play on those wickets. The batsmen would have to adjust to the bouncier wickets as fast as possible, that will be critical for our success,'' he added as a note of caution.

''We will have to show patience as well as courage sometimes while batting on the South African wickets,'' Dravid said, adding that overall the wickets there are good for the batsmen.

''The ball comes onto the bat and you can play your shots. Also with the bounce in the wicket, it opens up your backfoot game and gives you scoring opportunity with the cut and pull shots -- shots which on the slow and low wickets, you cannot afford to take a risk with.'' The Indian captain also admitted that the team would feel the loss of Yuvraj Singh, who has been ruled out of this tour with a knee injury, but added that this also gives a chance to an youngster ''to stand up and be counted.'' Dravid also expressed his happiness with the return of ace leg spinner Anil Kumble.

''He would be bringing in a lot of experience with him and apart from his playing skills we would also be looking to utilise his whole personality towards the development of the team. We always had Anil (Kumble) at the back of our minds and I think this is the right time to bring him back with the World Cup five months away,'' Dravid maintained.

To a question whether taking Wasim Jaffer as an opener for the one-day series was an indication that he would soon play a part in the one-day side also and not be branded just as a Test player, the captain said that the Mumbai bastman has been selected as a back-up opener for the one-dayers. ''Jaffer is also a very good back foot player which will be a boon on the bouncier wickets of South Africa. His technique is also good and on South African wickets, he can bring solidity to the batting. This is a good opportunity for him and he can also use it to become a regular one-day player for India,'' Dravid added.

Coach Greg Chappell, meanhwile, termed the tour as a challenging one for the team and said the boys can take this opportunity to develop as a group. ''If we play as well as we know we can, then this would be a very good and exciting series, with the cricket on offer to be of the highest standard,'' he said.

Chappell, however, refused to believe that the past performances in South Africa ''where we have always struggled'' would have a bearing on this tour. ''What has happened is history and that will have no bearing on the present series,'' he said.

Chappell was also not to keen on a bowling coach for the side.

''Sometimes getting too much information is also bad as is too less information,'' the Australian said, adding that ''if we feel we need to bring in former players and greats to help the players then we do it, but otherwise this arrangement with the support staff we have is good enough at the moment.'' Chappell also felt that the media was putting on too much pressure on young Irfan Pathan. ''The Baroda paceman is coming on well and improving as each game is played. He is also becoming a very good allrounder,'' he said, adding that ''Irfan was just 22 and he was still in the process of learning and getting better.'' The Indian coach also had a word of praise for come back pacer Zaheer Khan.'' I am impressed at the way he has worked on his fitness and got back into the Indian team,'' Chappell said adding that'' for the South African tour we have a very good varied attack which can perform on any surface.''

UNI