MUMBAI: The showdown between the world’s best pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada is something that former South Africa captain Graeme Smith is looking forward to when his national team plays its first Test of the series against India at Kolkata on Friday. India and world Test champions South Africa will play two Tests (second match in Guwahati).
The pitch at Eden Gardens for the first two days will likely offer more pace and bounce to the bowlers. The pitch is then expected to slow down halfway through the match. This will help pacers Bumrah and Rabada to showcase their might. "I think it is never at the forefront of people’s conversation when you are playing cricket in the subcontinent, getting off to a solid start with your top three (for the South African team) is important. There is nothing worse than if you go two or three wickets down and then the spinners come on and you’re against the game. Countering Bumrah up front is going to be a big thing and likewise Rabada for India,” he said on the sidelines of an SA20 India event here on Wednesday.
Rabada has scalped 55 Test wickets against India in 14 Tests. He, however, has more wickets against Australia (58) and England (66). His memorable performance in whites this year was at the World Test Championship Final, where he picked 9/125 across two innings.
“Coming to the subcontinent, he is definitely the leader of the pack and how he can set the tone with that new ball is going to be important for Temba (Bavuma) and the team,” Smith explained.
Smith, who has handled the pressures as a captain as well as an opener, felt that the batters needed to step up for the team. "The Eden Gardens is a good place to bat. You get good value for runs for a stadium like that, especially when it gets full. That will motivate the South Africans a lot," he said.
Smith's colleague and former Protea great Hashim Amla also had a similar opinion on the batters. “I think it is the batting and the ability to get bigger runs on the board to allow your bowlers to exert that pressure is very important. That is going to be one of the biggest tests for both teams,” he explained.
With the bat, South Africa rode high on performances of Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram so far this year. They scored valuable runs against Pakistan last month as well. De Zorzi scored a ton in Lahore last month. Aiden Markram, who led the side in the two Test matches against Pakistan, could not replicate his heroics in the WTC final against Australia. But does the current stock of batter come close to Amla?
“I can't think of any at the moment for South Africa. It is difficult to pick one or two players. But it is more rare now than before,” he said.
Confidence is key, says Du Plessis
The tag as World Champions for a team like South Africa will be a big boost. Former SA batter Faf du Plessis warned that it might crumble anytime in the series. “They will arrive as a team that they feel they have played well. They are the No 1 Test team in the world. But confidence also quickly goes. One moment you feel like you are in such great form and then a week later you feel like you are out of form,” he explained.