Chennai, March 24: The ICC may have asked players to refrain from on-field showdowns but South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher today said sledging was all about being competitive even though he assured that his team would not go overboard in the upcoming Test series against India.

"Our guys are mature enough and know what to do on the cricket field and what not to do," Boucher told a press conference here.

The first of the three-Test series between the two sides starts on Wednesday and the two sides have so far refrained from engaging in any war of words.

The stumper-batsman said Test cricket required a mix of defence and aggression and his team would look to get the balance right in the series.

"Test cricket is Test cricket. You have got to get a mix of defence and attack," he said after a net session at the M A Chidambaram Stadium here this afternoon.

Asked how the South Africans were coping with the hot and humid Chennai weather, Boucher said his team was handling the temperatures well as it had played in similar conditions during their recent tour of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"We have played quite a lot of cricket in the sub-continent. Obviously, it was lot more humid yesterday", he said.

Boucher also brushed aside suggestions that lack of any practice match ahead of the series would hamper his side.

"The short break after the Bangladesh tour has actually helped the players to get a fresh focus on the Indian tour.