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'Confident' India have nothing to prove

Cape Town - India skipper Virat Kohli has made it clear that his side has "nothing to prove to anyone" leading up to their upcoming tour to South Africa.

The Proteas take on India in a three-match Test series, starting on January 5 at Newlands.

India have never won a Test series in South Africa having lost five times and drawn once.

Kohli admits that although they haven't played outside the sub-continent of late, he is confident in their ability.

"We, as a team, are feeling confident in the way we stand - the balance and the kind of cricket we've been playing," Kohli told reporters, as quoted by BCCI.tv.

"Apart from the Champions Trophy, we haven't played consistently outside of India and we're looking forward to it and its challenges."

Kohli believes that this strong Indian squad will be able to pull off a historic victory in South Africa.

"The hunger is still the same, we want to try and do what we couldn't do in 2013. It's an opportunity for us to go back again and play consistently and get the results we were looking for," said the Indian skipper.

"We know what we want to do as a team, when we do things in conditions that are more challenging that gives you job satisfaction that's for sure and the same goes when you win every game."

India celebrated their last major away victory in 2008/09 when they beat New Zealand 1-0 in a three-match Test series.

Despite India's poor track record away from home, Kohli insisted that the world No 1 Test team are not feeling under pressure.

"We've gotten rid of all the pressures of touring abroad and wanting to prove to people," he said.

"We don't want to prove anything to anyone, our duty is to give 100 percent for the country and get the results we want to."

Following the Test series, the two teams will play in six ODIs and three T20I matches.

India's Test squad for South Africa:

Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, K. L. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

India's tour fixtures in South Africa:

January 5-9 - 1st Test, Newlands

January 13-17 - 2nd Test, Centurion

January 24-28 - 3rd Test, Wanderers

February 1 - 1st ODI, Kingsmead (D/N)

February 4 - 2nd ODI, Centurion

February 7 - 3rd ODI, Newlands (D/N)

February 10 - 4th ODI, Wanderers (D/N)

February 13 - 5th ODI, St. George's Park (D/N)

February 16 - 6th ODI, Centurion (D/N)

February 18 - 1st T20I, Wanderers

February 21 - 2nd T20I, Centurion (D/N)

February 24 - 3rd T20I, Newlands (D/N)

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