Expecting the ball to spin on day one: Faf du Plessis

In an interview given to bcci.tv the South African star said, "We are expecting the ball to spin on day one, you expect it and then you plan for it."

Talking about the recent nature of Indian pitches, du Plessis said, "In India I think it is a lot more aggressive now than it used to be in the past where the pitches probably spin on day three, four and five but they start doing that on day one now."

Speaking about his team's tactics, he said, "So that means the Test matches won't last long. But for us if it lasts only three days, we will have our plans to try and be attacking, to make sure to wait for opportunity and put momentum in our favour."

du Plessis also acknowledged the contribution of Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India's leading spinner in the longest format on home soil. "Ashwin is our main threat, but we will plan really well. The way we play Ashwin in this series will definitely determine the success in this series."

Though he acknowleded Ashwin, du Plessis sounded confident about taking on the Indian bowling spearhead. "He is an outstanding spinner but I feel we played him well (in T20s). Now, it’s a case of Test cricket, but with the conditions he will get a little more turn."