MUMBAI: Even though South Africa haven’t won a Test in India in 15 years, former South African captain Graeme Smith is confident that the Proteas, the ruling WTC champions, would compete hard with the hosts in the two-Test series, which begins with the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“”You always want to start well in India. I actually think Eden Gardens is not a bad place for us to start. I think even if the conditions are dry, it’s still a ground that the batters can get in and score runs. I think that is the key element for the South African team coming out of India,” Smith told reporters at an SA20 India Day event here on Wednesday. Smith is the League Commissioner for the T20 franchise league, which will start from Dec 26 this time.
Even as spinners could dominate the show, Smith pointed out that showdown between both the Indian and South African modern-day pace greats Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada could well decide the outcome of the series.“Countering Bumrah will be key. Spinners will come into play later on. But if you are two or three down before the spinners come to play, then that will hit you hard. So, tackling Bumrah will be key. The same goes for India. Tackling Kagiso Rabada will be key.”“It’s never at the forefront of conversation when you’re playing cricket in the subcontinent — pace bowling. But both these guys (Bumrah and Rabada) are world-class… countering Bumrah upfront is going to be a big thing for South Africa. And Rabada, as well, will pose that challenge for India. This is a big test for KG. He’s the leader of the attack, and how he sets the tone with that new ball will be crucial for Temba (Bavuma) and the team,” Smith saidWhile South Africa boasts of potent pacers like Rabada and Marco Jansen, along with the all-rounder Corbin Bosch, Smith is backing the team’s two spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthuswamy, who helped their team fight back and level the Test series 1-1 in Pakistan recently, to deliver the goods against India.“I actually like the two spin options they have in Maharaj and Harmer. I think they can control the game and can turn the ball, so it’s an ability to get wickets. I think it’s key. And 20 wickets in a Test match is obviously the most important thing but I think the batting if they can find a way to get some runs in this first Test match and get some confidence then I think they can compete,” Smith added.When asked about his former teammate Morne Morkel, who is currently the Team India bowling coach,Smith came up with a cheeky response. “Morne Morkel is the enemy now!”Another former South African captain Faf Du Plessis, who too attended the event, asserted that it was crucial that the Proteas start well. “Generally, your best chance of having success here is when you start the series well. South Africa would arrive in India with confidence. They will arrive as a team that they feel have played well. They are the No. 1 Test team in the world, and that means a lot. But confidence also quickly goes, when you play one Test match and you lose that confidence. Sport strains like that—one moment you feel like you’re in such great form, and then a week later, you feel like you’re out of form. So, it’s great that we’re coming in with it (the confidence). But how we deal with that first Test match will be very important for the series,” Du Plessis said.“When you start well, as a batting unit, you’ve got the confidence that you’ve got runs under the belt and you almost put the conditions a little bit out of your head. In the rest of the series, it will feel easier. Similarly, when you are under pressure and lose the first Test, the expectation is going to be hard on the team,” said the 69-Test veteran.“The guys have played really well in the subcontinent for the last 12 or 14 months. They played well against Pakistan, and here, I’m expecting the wickets to be very much suited for spinning conditions. It seems like the guys have really worked hard on it. I think that the first Test will be a big stepping stone for us, whether we’re going to do well or we’re going to struggle. Unfortunately, it’s only two Test matches. That’s the downside of the new schedule these days. You almost feel like just when you start getting into a series, it is over. I’m a fan of playing three Test matches, but that’s something that’s happening a lot more these days,” Du Plessis lamented.Smith agreed with Du Plessis that South Africa needed to build momentum early before it gets too late. “Sport is all about confidence. South Africa would arrive with their confidence. However, confidence also quickly goes when you lose a Test match. It will be very important for them to get that momentum,” said Smith, who captained South Africa to more than 50 wins in international cricket.South Africa haven’t won a series in India in the last 25 years. “It’s about confidence. Sport is everything to do with your head. It’s about how confident you walk onto the field. How confident you feel about overcoming any situation that you’re confronted with,” Du Plessis said.The second Test of the series will be played in Guwahati starting from Nov 22.
