Team India have been gearing for the South Africa challenge for quite some time now. The entire squad attended a preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and now they have reached Dharamshala to undergo a boot camp where they will train at high-altitude to get accustomed to the pressure change.
Swash-buckling middle order batsman Suresh Raina has stated that India are perfectly fit and raring to face the South Africa challenge. He also reflected that the Toss will be crucial in the T20 series against the Proteas and the home side stand a good chance to emerge victorious against the visitors.
"After beating Sri Lanka on their soil, Team India is in high spirits. And as the team is undergoing a week-long training camp after 7-8 years, we are perfectly fit to face South Africa. The series shall be very interesting. Toss is going to be the major factor here as the ball moves a lot during late hours. But it is not going to bother us as we are getting accustomed to the conditions," Raina said at the press conference held in Dharamshala on Tuesday.
Raina has been in sublime form in the shorter formats of the international game but only in the overseas. He has struggled in the Indian conditions and does not have any 50+ plus score in recent times on the Indian soil.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is altogether a different ball game. If one takes that into consideration, then Raina did not fare well for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as he was supposed to perform.
Raina is raring to perform against South Africa in the forthcoming series and is hopeful that he will come in handy both with the bat and ball. He is also ready to take up the baton of the 'finisher' from MS Dhoni and bat at no. 6. In fact, he stated that he can bat at any position if the situation demands.
"I have a chance in upcoming T20 and ODI matches to prove myself and make a comeback for Test matches," Raina added.
