Dhoni says pitches in Proteas series `would be real baptism of fire` for Indian batsmen

Johannesburg: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that their tour in South Africa will be a big learning curve for their batsmen, according to reports.

According to Sport24, India arrived in Johannesburg on Monday for a three-match one-day series, which will be followed by two Tests.

Indian teams in the past have always struggled on the South African wickets that offer more pace and bounce, and Dhoni said that it could be a real baptism of fire for a few of their batsmen, the report said.

India tackle the tour without old stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, the report added.

New starts like Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina must now step up if they are to achieve success in South African conditions, the report further said.

The first ODI is scheduled for the Wanderers on Thursday, the report mentioned.

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