Indian captain Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell must provide a strong leadership if India are to come out of the current slump, according to former South African captain Kepler Wessels.
Wessels said Dravid must "make his own decisions" and lead from the front during the gruelling tour comprising five one-day internationals and three Tests.
"It would take a very strong leadership. Dravid would have to lead from the front and make his own decisions. It's important he shows the team the way to follow," said Wessels, a former Australian international who later returned to his roots to represent South Africa in 16 Tests.
"I think world cricket today places enormous pressure on the captain. He plays for high stakes, he knows what to do. But if you get prepared to take the job then you got to do it. It's not easy, but it's certainly your choice.
"It's up to you, whether you choose to do it or you choose not to do it. If you accept the job then there is a lot of pressure which goes with the job," he said.
Wessels said Chappell must also be feeling the pressure in the wake of the recent reversals in the shorter version of the game.
"I am sure Greg [Chappell] would be feeling the pressure as well because they didn't do well in the Champions Trophy," he said.
Wessels had little doubt that it would be the flamboyant wicketkeeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni who would be the marked man for the fiery home speedsters.
"They would intimidate and come hard at him. They would absolutely target him, there is no question about it."
Dhoni is being seen as a specialist batsman by the Indians on this tour and would bat in the top order in the one-day internationals as indicated by Dravid.
Also, it appears the Indians intend to make better use of his explosive ability than what they have been doing till recently.
Wessels said though the present South African pacemen are not as quick as their predecessors, they would still be more than handful for the Indian batsmen.
The likes of Makhaya Ntini (274 wickets), Shaun Pollock (395), Jacques Kallis (200) and Andre Nel (84) have picked up 953 wickets among them in a combined stint of 296 Tests.
"Their pace might have slowed up, but they seem to bowl well on these sort of surfaces. There is enough in it for them, there is bounce. They know where to bowl and what line and length to stick in these conditions," Wessels said.
Even though the former player felt that the Indian batsmen would have their share of short-pitched deliveries on this tour, it would be the fuller length balls which would cause their undoing.
"I don't think they will bowl short. They will bowl a little further up. There is natural carry on these wickets. By bowling short you could make the batsmen hop on the backfoot but it is with stuff further pitched up that they would get wickets."
Wessels said India's soft middle-order line-up would be vulnerable to the pace treat to be thrown by the hosts.
"I wouldn't like to pre-judge them but most of them would find the going really tough. For those sort of guys, it would be hard."
However, Wessels gave his thumbs up to India's senior brigade of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and even Virender Sehwag, who is generally seen as uncomfortable against rising deliveries.
"Sehwag would be okay if he is motivated enough. He got runs against us in his debut series and also was successful in Australia.
"Also, Tendulkar and Dravid would cope. They have got the technique and they have the temperament. They would be the key to India."
The intense-looking Wessels had a depressing forecast for the Indian spinners though.
"The wickets in South Africa are not conducive to spin bowling. It is highly unlikely that a Kumble or Harbhajan would pick up their six or seven wickets. They would be good and would have their quota of two or three wickets, nothing more."
As for medium pacers of the visiting team, Wessels termed them as no better than just reasonable.
"They don't have the pace to scare anyone, but they would be alright because they bowl in good areas. Zaheer Khan is no longer bowling for a whisker, he has got a bit less pace now but he is experienced.
"Sreesanth has got a lot of potential, he looks like a good bowler. There is making of a good attack, not a scary one but just reasonable."
Wessels said the fate of the Indians in one-dayers would decide their going in the following three-Test series.
"If they can compete well in the one-day series, they would be confident. If they are blown away in one-dayers, then Test series would go downhill."
Wessels said the South Africans would come really hard and rough on the Indians to rattle them as far as possible in the opening one-dayer at the Wanderers on Sunday.
"The opening game at the Wanderers is going to be absolutely critical. It is very difficult for these sort of teams to play at the Wanderers.
"If they can't get away from the Wanderers, then it becomes a tough series."
