Overseas tours will 'define' India - Shastri

India have won each of their last nine Test series, including the one-off Test against Bangladesh in February 2017. Of the nine series wins, two came in Sri Lanka, one in the Caribbean, and six at home. India will begin the new year with a three-match Test series in South Africa and will then travel to England before touring Australia.

India's coach Ravi Shastri was wary of the challenges posed by upcoming series away from home, and said that the next one-and-a-half years will "define" his side.

Shastri said the team is aware what lies ahead for them on the tours of South Africa, England and Australia. The coach reckons that the nucleus of the team has remained the same in the last few years and that will help players in embracing the challenges ahead.

"If it is going to be tough for our batsmen, our job is to make it tough for their batsmen as well." The chief coach also urged the players to embrace the challenges with aplomb and insisted that the team's preparation has been good.

When asked if the South Africa tour will be the biggest test for India's batsmen, captain Virat Kholi said that a positive mindset will help his team get a hang of the conditions. Kohli, who had been part of the touring party in 2013, when India gave South Africa a scare in the Johannesburg Test, called for greater consistency this time.

Asked if Jasprit Bumrah, who has proved his utility in limited-overs formats, could be successful in Tests as well, Shastri seemed very optimistic.