Graeme Smith Stresses Importance of Early Momentum for South Africa in India Test Series

South Africa is gearing up to face India in the first test at Eden Gardens. They are touring the country for test series after a long period of time, so understanding the conditions could prove to be a challenge for them. Nevertheless, the Proteas are confident that they could deliver a strong performance in the series, as they have got plenty of reputed stars in their lineup.

The legendary South African batter, Graeme Smith, has voiced his support for the national team ahead of the upcoming series. He feels South Africa must need to start well in Eden Gardens, as it could give them an edge for the rest of the test tour. It is one of those grounds where South African batters can also handle the bowling of the Indian team easily, as the pitches there are often considered conducive for batting.

"I'm hoping that with the first Test in Kolkata, it's generally quite a good place to bat, get good value for runs. And it's a stadium that especially if it's full, will really make the South Africans motivated to do well in. I think it's crucial on these types of tours that you start well. If you get behind the game in the subcontinent, it's very difficult to fight your way back. And the batters in particular are going to really have to step up.” said Graeme Smith.

The veteran batter also thinks that the South African team will be making plans for spinning conditions as well. He said that laying a strong foundation at the start will be crucial for South Africa, as it allows the other batters to feel more confident.

"The South African team will definitely be preparing for how they're going to handle spin. But getting off to a solid start in your top three that can lay a platform for you [is crucial], there's nothing worse than if you go two or three down and then the spinners come on and you're against the game already.” said Graeme Smith.

Speaking about the bowling department, Graeme Smith expressed his satisfaction with the available options. He said the Proteas have arrived in India with a strong bowling lineup, as players like Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer are well suited to these conditions.

"I think South Africa arrived here with a decent bowling attack, especially in the spin department. [Keshav] Maharaj and [Simon] Harmer can definitely do damage, they can control the game and they have the ability to turn the ball, which is wicket-taking options with spin, and then to see how [Kagiso] Rabada and the likes handle reverse swing. But I think there's good spin options for Temba [Bavuma] to use as well." said Graeme Smith.

Echoing the view of Smith, Faf du Plessis also said that success in India largely depends on setting a strong foundation. He expects the South African batters to lay that foundation, because they could get help from the pitches early in the match.

"I feel generally your best chance at having success here (in India) is when you start the series well, especially as a batting unit, get a bit of confidence that you've got runs under the belt and you almost put the conditions a little bit out of your head," said Faf du Plessis.

"Then the rest of the series definitely will feel easier versus starting and you're under pressure and it's low score, low score, you lose the first Test, ball's spinning a bit more. Then it's that expectation that this is going to be a hard tour for the team." said Faf du Plessis.

The former Proteas captain is confident that South Africa will produce a strong performance in the upcoming matches, as they have been playing good test cricket for quite some time. He gave the example of the recent Pakistan tour in which South Africa staged a remarkable turnaround in the second test of the series.

"The guys have played really well in the subcontinent in the last 12 or 14 months when they've gone to Pakistan, they've played well. So I'm expecting the wickets to be very much suited for spinning conditions. But it seems like the guys have really worked hard on it. But it will, very much, I think the first Test will be a big stepping stone for us, whether we're going to do well or we're going to struggle." said Faf du Plessis.