Michael Clarke: South Africa series away from home will be a gauge of how far we’ve come

WE know just how tough a challenge this series against South Africa is going to be, writes Michael Clarke.

WE know just how tough a challenge this series against South Africa is going to be.

I have always believed in a positive, aggressive approach to the game and it will be no different on this tour when the first Test begins in Pretoria on Wednesday.

You must be bold to succeed in South Africa and that’s what we intend to be.

News_Image_File: Clarke avoids a wet spot during a batting session.

We’re ready to go. The cancellation of our tour match after torrential rain in Potchefstroom will have no impact on our preparation.

We have all played a lot of cricket this summer and the training facilities at Centurion Park, which will host the first Test, have been good enough for all of us to prepare for what lies ahead.

Our golden summer against England has left everyone confident and buoyant after such sustained success. There is no substitute for making runs and taking wickets.

But we face two significant challenges that no amount of Ashes glory can help us overcome. We are playing the No.1 team in their own backyard.

Recent history tells us it is becoming harder and harder to win away from home, and we have been a big part of that history.

Two seasons ago we dominated India in all four Tests at home. Less than a year ago we lost all four Tests in India.

Likewise we lost the Ashes series 3-0 in England and then whitewashed them 5-0 at home, all in the space of six months.

No matter what changes there have been in personnel or how much we have improved through hard work and better planning, it does not explain the gulf in those margins.

It highlights how tough life on the road can be as a Test cricketer.

News_Rich_Media: Chris Rogers believes superior batting will be the key to Australian victory in the three-Test series against South Africa.

Not only are the conditions different but everything else that goes with touring. Different hotels, different food, different grounds, a feeling of isolation sometimes away from friends and family all have an impact.

So in a game of one-percenters against highly competitive sides it can all add up.

The one advantage we have in South Africa is that their conditions are very similar to ours, with wickets that have pace and bounce.

They are pitches that are conducive to exciting cricket, encouraging stroke play and yet always offering quality bowlers something.

And South Africa has shown for some time now it is a quality unit. They are No.1 by a considerable margin because they have been the only side to win away from home consistently.

That is our next step, to follow South Africa’s lead of developing that hard-edged consistency no matter the conditions or circumstances.

News_Rich_Media: Former South Africa Test bowler Johan Botha believes the Proteas can halt Australia's strong form of late during the upcoming series.

However this South African team will feel different to any other we have played against. One of the world’s most imposing cricketers, Jacques Kallis, is no longer part of it.

A modern phenomenon, Kallis had three careers in one as a supreme batsman, a strong seam and swing bowler who claimed almost 300 wickets, and a superb slips fieldsman.

Any team in the world would miss a player of that brilliance but South Africa have plenty of high-quality players to cover for him.

We are a team of no excuses. We deserved to be beaten in India and England because we did not play well against good opposition on dry, grassless wickets.

It motivated us to improve. We were all desperate for that winning feeling again and were rewarded for our hard work over the summer.

Just how much we have improved will become obvious to everyone over the next month during a three-Test series that excites us all.

Enough of the talking, bring it on!