South Africa vs India 2013: 5 reasons why India would play better in the Test series

4. Indian squad to be acclimatized to the conditions before the Test series

Shikhar Dhawan

No excuses for the appalling show in the ODI series, but a good fortnight of match practice in South African conditions should see India coming up with a better performance in the Test series.

Yes, there wasn’t a single practice game in the lead-up to the ODI series and as it seems, Dhoni’s men are facing the darker side of coming into an overseas tour without pertinent match practice.

But the tour game in Benoni against South African invitation XI, should give the Indian side much needed exposure to red ball cricket in the fast and bouncy pitches of South Africa and will no doubt give them the competitive edge in the Test series, something that they have lacked right through the 3 One-Day Internationals.