New Delhi: India won their eighth successive ODI series on Sunday (December 17) after defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Visakhapatnam with opener Shikhar Dhawan hitting an unbeaten hundred.
It was in continuation of their Test series win, which was yet another record feat. The 2-1 win in the Test series helped Virat Kohli & Co match the much vaunted Ricky Ponting's Australian side which won nine successive series from 2005 to 2008.
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With Kohli's India steamrolling visiting teams in all formats at home, including the T20Is, records came easy. But their first real challenge will come early next year, when they face South Africa in South Africa, a place where Men in Blue have failed, if we may say, miserably. Last time India visited South Africa, Smith led the home side to a 1-0 win in 2013-14.
And the former Proteas skipper Graeme Smith has already warned the visiting side that the tour will not be an easy one for them this time too. But the 36-year-old is confident that India will perform comparatively well this time, thanks to their batting prowess.
For the record, in the previous six series in the post-Apartheid South Africa, India's best performance was a 1-1 stalemate in the three-match series in 2010-11. India's record in South Africa is so poor that they have only registered two wins in 17 matches.
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And if Smith is to be believed, India have at least three batsmen who can change the fortunes this time around, and they are – Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Dhawan. These three are India's top three in the limited overs cricket, and with Rohit recently getting Test berth and showing his worth, the trio has already become the backbone of Indian batting line-up in all three formats.
"The top three are winning a lot of cricket games. Not only are they consistent, prolific run-getters, they also get it at pace. Each of them has a strike rate of 90 and above. It's exciting to watch them.
"This top three will go to South Africa as better players. Since the last tour, they have all grown in stature. Virat had a decent tour [in 2013]. He has got even better. He has gone to the next level. Rohit, I think, is a better player than what he was when he came to South Africa [last time]. Shikhar has improved.
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"They all go with more experience, they are better players not only mentally, but also technically. If they [India] are to be successful, their top three, both in the Test format and in the one-day format, need to have big tours," " said Smith, who was present as a pundit in Visakhapatnam for the official broadcasters of the India-Sri Lanka series.
India will now focus on the three-match T20I series, which starts on Wednesday (December 20). The series finale is scheduled for December 24, three days leaving for South Africa.
India will play a full series in South Africa, comprising of three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is. the first Test match starts on January 5 in Cape Town.
It will be followed by tours of England, Australia and New Zealand in the next 18 months.
