IND vs SA: I Can Emulate Ashwin, Jadeja To Trouble Indian Batsmen, Says Maharaja

Team India spinners are a dominant force in home conditions and Maharaja hopes to use his County experiences to trouble the Indian batsmen

South Africa's leading spinner in Tests, Keshav Maharaja said he will try to emulate India's senior spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin when Proteas takes on India at Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday. Maharaja, who has 94 wickets from 25 Tests, will have a key-role to play on spinner-friendly subcontinent track. Team India bowlers, especially spinners, are a dominant force in home conditions and Maharaja hopes to use his County experiences to trouble the Indian batsmen. "It is nice that people speak highly of you," Maharaj said ahead of his maiden Test tour to India. "Look at Jadeja and Ashwin. Ashwin has got a lot of variations and Jadeja keeps it simple but the key is consistency and that makes it uncomfortable for the batsmen. I can emulate that going forward and do my job from one end." Though its Maharaja's maiden tour to India but he has experience of bowling on a subcontinent track. The 29-year-old claimed 16 wickets form two Test matches against Sri Lanka, last year, including career-best figures of  9/129. Maharaja believes spin bowling will play a key role on Indian tracks. "You got to expect the ball to turn in the sub-continent and that is why people carry an extra spinner here," said Maharaja. "As far as bowling to Indian batsmen goes, you can only Test yourself against the best. The series will tell me how good I am and if I belong here in international cricket." "Besides spin, reverse swing will be key," he added. "Every bowling unit everywhere in the world likes to utilise reverse swing if available. India have got strong bowlers including Mohammad Shami, who is unplayable at times. If it starts to reverse, then we have also got amazing [fast] bowlers, who can utilise the conditions."