Proteas go out of their way to make themselves 'uncomfortable' in mission to tame Tigers

The Proteas have afforded themselves no luxuries at training ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

In fact, it's been all about making things as tough as possible, particularly given the sense that they commence this vital skirmish at a venue with conditions that might resemble the sub-continent more than Africa.

With the wounds of an unexpected ODI series still raw and a poor recent record in Durban - South Africa have lost seven of their last 10 Tests here - weighing on certain minds, there's no room for complacency.

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"We've come a long way," said Keshav Maharaj, the Proteas' first-choice spinner and senior player on Wednesday.

"I believe our batting and bowling has grown a lot over the past months. We’ve made ourselves uncomfortable, taken ourselves out of our comfort zones in terms of training and tried to emulate conditions we're might be faced with.   

"So yes, while there might be the thought there that sub-continent teams have done well here, we’ve come a long way and we’re trying to turn the tide, especially at Kingsmead."

The Proteas have indeed put themselves in a handy position on the ICC World Test Championship table, occupying the second spot, which will be fortified by a positive outcome against the Tigers.

"I believe we’ve had a phenomenal year, starting in the West Indies. There have been some highs and lows. The loss in the ODI series has hurt a lot of the guys, but this Test side is different to that squad and hopefully we can carry over the confidence from the India and New Zealand series," said Maharaj. 

"That said, the Bangladesh team has done extremely well and know these conditions. They