Team India coach Rahul Dravid hoping for a 'little bit of luck' to script historic series win | SA vs IND

Rahul Dravid, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, expressed on Tuesday his hope for a bit of fortune as India aims to clinch its first-ever Test series victory in South Africa. This pursuit to conquer what Dravid refers to as the team's 'final frontier' comes after 31 years of efforts in the Rainbow Nation.

Since their initial tour of South Africa in 1992, India has returned seven times, securing four Test wins but falling short of a series victory. This eludes them despite their successes in other countries like England, Australia, and New Zealand.

Reflecting on past experiences in South Africa, Dravid said in an interview with Star Sports, "We (have) come close a couple of times and we have played some good cricket here... just a few critical moments we have not been able to, maybe, get over the line, get the 34-40-50 runs that you probably need to be able to... to compete here."

He also recalled the previous tour two years ago, where India lost a 1-0 lead in a three-match series.

"We looked at a lot of stuff and the way we bowled, I thought we bowled really well in the last series which gives us a lot of confidence that we have the ability to take 20 wickets here with the kind of attack that we have." Dravid added that while skill is essential, a bit of luck also plays a role in such conditions.

"You need a little bit of luck as well in these conditions, there are lot of plays and misses, you want to be the one playing and missing, and hopefully, the opposition edging those same ones. I think there is a little bit of luck involved," he added.

Dravid emphasized the need for discipline, patience, and capitalizing on opportunities, especially when the ball softens. He acknowledged the strength of the South African team in their home conditions and expressed hope that India could overcome these challenges in the upcoming matches.

Discussing debutant Prasidh Krishna, Dravid described him as a "promising prospect," while acknowledging his limited first-class cricket experience. He hopes for a positive performance from Krishna in his debut Test.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, currently tops the World Test Championship 2023-25 points table, following their recent matches against the West Indies. South Africa, on the other hand, is beginning their campaign in this WTC cycle with this Test series.

Despite their challenges in South Africa, where India has only won four out of 23 Tests since 1996, the team remains one of the most successful visiting teams in the country, behind Australia and England.

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(With PTI inputs)