The India national cricket team led by captain Virat Kohli on Thursday night landed in South Africa and reached hotel for their first tour of the season. Kohli, who recently got married, was seen entering the team hotel with wife Anushka Sharma. India will play three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is during their 56-day stay in South Africa. The first Test will start from January 5 in Cape Town.
A video was posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Twitter account, which showed Team India players entering the hotel after a long flight.
India, who are ranked No.1 in Tests, have been in tremendous form but are yet to be tested overseas and the upcoming series against South Africa is surely the biggest test yet for Kohli and his boys.
India have never been able to win a Test series on South African soil for the past 25 years and a 1-1 draw in 2011 was their best result.
However, before departing for South Africa, Kohli dispelled doubts over any "mental burden" on his team.
"We have got rid of all the mental pressures of touring abroad and wanting to prove to people. We are not wanting to prove anything to anyone and our duty is to go out there, give our 100 per cent effort for the country and get the result that we want to," Kohli said.
Kohli agreed that they haven't played a lot outside sub- continent of late but the current crop is confident of a good show.
"We are talking about a wholely different prospect over here, which we understand as a team and we are looking forward to it. Every tour is a chance, if you look at the teams which have gone to South Africa in the past, I mean you are talking about some of the biggest names in Indian cricket, it?s not like that was not like a chance," Kohli said.
