South Africa well-placed to start strong in Kolkata, feels Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith thinks that South Africa will be benefiting from the scheduling of the two-Test series against India, starting in two days. The former South Africa captain is of the view that the visitors could not have asked for a better venue for the first Test than Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

"I'm hoping that with the first Test in Kolkata, it's generally quite a good place to bat. You get good value for runs and it's a stadium that especially if it's full (it) will really make the South Africans motivated to do well in," Smith said at an SA20 promotional event in Mumbai on Wednesday (November 12).

The first of the two Tests starts in Kolkata on Friday (November 14), followed immediately by the second Test in Guwahati from November 22. Incidentally, South Africa's return to international cricket was at the Eden in Kolkata in 1991.

The visiting side, led by Temba Bavuma, are the defending World Test Champions and are coming to India from a drawn two-Test series in Pakistan. "The fact that a lot of the players with the A-team games and obviously the Pakistan Test series have played a bit of cricket in the subcontinent, which is always important. Your game needs to adapt, your thinking needs to adapt to be able to play here," Smith said.

Like any series in India, the upcoming Tests may be dominated by spin and Smith felt the visitors have enough experience in Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer to exploit the conditions. "South Africa have 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."

The South African legend felt that the opening burst from the new ball bowlers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada, will be key before the spinners are introduced. "I think it's never at the forefront of people's conversation when you play cricket in the subcontinent but I think the South African team will definitely be preparing for how they're going to handle spin.

"But getting off to a solid start, having a top three that can lay a platform for you, 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 Rabada as well for India. They're world-class bowlers with world-class Test records," the SA20 chairman said.