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Team India are gearing up for the all-important first Test against reigning WTC champions South Africa. But India will have a little edge over the Proteas as they have former South Africa star pacer in their ranks as their bowling coach, which will help them pick the visitors' brain in the two-match Test series.
Jovial Graeme Smith calls Morne Morkel 'enemy'
Even former South Africa captain Graeme Smith is aware of this fact. During the launch of Season 4 of the SA20, Smith gave a humorous explanation as to why he had initially omitted Morne Morkel from his list of South Africa's greatest fast bowlers during the same event. He jokingly said Morkel is the enemy now as he is on the wrong side of the fence (India).
"Morne? Oh yeah, he is the enemy now. He is on the wrong side of the fence," the jovial Smith said while launching Season 4 of the SA20 tournament.
Smith's demeanor took a serious turn as the conversation shifted to the upcoming series between India and South Africa. South Africa have arrived in India to kick off a new World Test Championship cycle against the two-time finalists. While the series might lack many veterans from the last encounter, one high-profile duel is already capturing attention: the showdown between star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada.
The historical context weighs heavily on the South African side as they have not secured a Test series victory in India since 2000, nor have they won a single Test match on Indian soil since 2010—a significant drought spanning 25 and 15 years, respectively. Smith believes that for Captain Temba Bavuma and his squad to finally break this lengthy dry spell, they must pay close attention to his strategic warning concerning the immense threat posed by Bumrah.
"Getting off to a solid start, having a 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. So, countering Bumrah up front is going to be a big thing, and (Kagiso) Rabada as well for India. They’re world-class bowlers with world-class Test records," Smith added.
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South Africa lavishes praise on South Africa's decent bowling attack
Smith was captain the last time South Africa defeated India in a Test match, securing an innings and six runs victory at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Since that time, however, the fortunes of the two teams on Indian soil have dramatically reversed. South Africa suffered heavy defeats in the subsequent tours, being comprehensively floored 0-3 in 2015 and then swept again by the same margin, 0-3, in 2019.
This time around, the narrative surrounding the series feels distinctly different. Crucially, India has not opted for the rank turners that have historically guaranteed them an immense home advantage. This subtle change in pitch strategy offers South Africa a significantly better chance at breaking their long-standing losing streak. Nevertheless, South Africa’s inclusion of three specialist spinners—Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthuswamy, indicates they are prepared to make a rapid tactical adjustment should the conditions unexpectedly turn in favour of spin bowling.
"South Africa arrived here with a decent bowling attack, especially in the spin department. Maharaj and Harmer can definitely do the damage. They can control the game and they have the ability to turn the ball, which is a wicket-taking option with spin, and then it would be (interesting) to see how Rabada and the likes handle reverse swing," Smith further stated.
"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," he concluded.
India’s Test squad:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper/vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep
South Africa’s Test squad:
Temba Bavuma (C), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne
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