Next three days of good intensity training crucial: Dravid tells Team India

Centurion, Dec 20 : Indian cricket team chief coach Rahul Dravid has stressed on "quality practice" and "good intensity" ahead of the teams opening Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Johannesburg beginning December 26, adding that the next three days of training would be crucial.

With the entire squad in attendance during a gruelling practice session under overcast conditions on Sunday evening, Dravid said that, "The next three days are going to be really important in terms of our preparation and getting ourselves right for the first Test," adding that quality practice and good intensity would help the team to overcome the challenges its likely to face on pacey wickets here.

During the training session, which saw pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj and veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma going full tilt on a grassy wicket with plenty of bounce, Test skipper Virat Kohli was forced to duck a few deliveries.Indias bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said in the video uploaded by the BCCI that the players will have to really be prepared for such bouncy conditions, adding that its not just the batters wholl have to work hard to get used to the conditions, but the bowlers too would need to work on their technique in order to hit "the right areas".

"I think weve got to be prepared for such kind of conditions (pace and bounce).When we walked in, we thought it would be sunny.

But the moment we turned out at the ground (we got) overcast conditions… its always challenging from the bowlers perspective as well to kind of hit the right areas.These kinds of conditions well get in the Test match and (we) should be able to exploit those conditions," said Mhambrey.

Batting coach Vikram Rathour was happy with the way the batters handled the bounce, saying the team was fortunate to get a chance to bat on a "fresh wicket with overcast conditions"."Today was a centre-wicket practice session, and fortunately for us it was a fresh wicket with overcast conditions.

Pretty challenging for the batters to bat on, so the way they went about it today I am extremely happy," said Rathour.Seeing Kohli ducking a bouncer, Shreyas Iyer said that, "I would say, its a bowlers delight to bowl on this wicket.

Theres grass on the wicket and so much bounce… Virat Kohlis ducking."However, Ishant Sharma expressed that with the way Kohli and company played the pacers on Saturday, they would be able to negotiate the home team fast bowlers.

"It was damp initially, so it was moving a bit.But I felt that Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) and (Mohd) Shami bowled pretty well.I think the batters played pretty well.

They know what kind of bowlers they hope to play," added Ishant.akm/

Dravid tells Team India that the next three days are crucial for good intensity trainin

Ishant Sharma said that they could negotiate with the fast bowlers of the home side by side because Kohli and his team played pacers SaturdayIt was wet at first, and it moved a little.

However, I thought Jassi (Jasprit) Shami and Mohd Shami bowled well.The batters did a good job.Ishant added that they know which type of bowlers are best for them." #intensity #crucial #Dravid #tells #India #Cricket #BCCI #ICC #IPL #Sports # Vikram #Vikram #Johannesburg.