South Africa will be tough to beat: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t think India will have it easy against South Africa

Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar has asked the Indian team to expect a much sterner test against South Africa when the two sides meet each other at Melbourne in the 13th match of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. India won quite convincingly against Pakistan at Adelaide last Sunday in their first match of the tournament.

Winning the toss, Indian captain MS Dhoni opted to bat first, and the team – powered by Virat Kohli’s century and fifties from Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina – posted 300 runs on the board. Pakistan, in return, could only manage 224, losing the match by 76 runs.

Tendulkar told Headlines Today on Monday that the Proteas would be a difficult opposition to overcome as compared to Pakistan. He said: “It won't be so easy to pick singles. They (South Africa) are much faster, their throwing arm is more powerful and their outfielding... they cover the area much better than Pakistan."

‘Respect Dale Steyn’

On how Indian batsmen should tackle Dale Steyn, the South African spearhead, he said: "You can't pre-decide how to play Steyn, he could also have a bad day, you have to decide in the moment but you have to respect Dale Steyn, you need to be watchful upfront but take your opportunities."

He added: "Without any doubt he's their strike bowler. He's bowled unbelievably well.”

The 41-year-old believes that Rohit Sharma and Dhoni will deliver with the bat for India. Dhoni, in particular, has been struggling of late to provide the finishing touch that he is known for. "I wouldn't put any pressure on Rohit. Next time you'll get it right.”

He added: "(But) To win the World Cup the whole team will have to play consistently play well... It's not just about a couple of individuals.”