da betsul： Despite the comprehensive nature of the 157-run victory in Durban, GraemeSmith asserted that there would be no hint of complacency as they took onIndia at Newlands
Dileep Premachandran in Cape Town25-Nov-2006
Smith and Gibbs: ‘If both of us get astart, it’s important that we cash in’ © Getty Images
Despite the comprehensive nature of the 157-run victory in Durban, GraemeSmith asserted that there would be no hint of complacency as they took onIndia on a Newlands pitch that was likely to be a lot less pacy than theone at Kingsmead. Smith expected India to find form as the tour went on,but warned that his bowlers certainly wouldn’t be offering any freebies toan embattled batting line-up.”Obviously, we have worked hard and taken a lot of confidence from thefirst match,” he said. “We’ve talked at length on how to adapt to theNewlands wicket. I think the first 10 or 15 overs, whether we bat or bowlfirst, is going to be crucial. It will set up the game. We’ll make sure wedon’t allow the Indians any sort of chance to get in during that time.”His reaction bordered on the sympathetic when he was asked whether he hadbeen surprised by the ineptitude on display in Durban. “They arrived a dayor two before the first game [in Benoni],” he said. “They really didn’thave any net practice. The day after arrival is always a tough day withjetlag, and they went straight into the first game cold. There was a lotof rain in Jo’burg, no nets, and then a bit of rain in Durban. So theywere probably a bit undercooked going into it.”We expect them to bounce back here and we are not going to take themlightly. But we have sorted out our plans for tomorrow, and Newlands hasbeen a fantastic place for us.” Back in March, his team routed Australiaby 196 runs, with Makhaya Ntini taking 6 for 22 before the lights had beenfully switched on.Herschelle Gibbs’s loss of form has been written about in the SouthAfrican media, and Smith himself didn’t enjoy the best of starts to theseries at Kingsmead. “It’s not a worry,” he said. “If I can speak formyself, I’m feeling really good. It’s just that I have played only fivegames in four months, and we need a bit of time in the middle. I’m feelinggood at the nets, and it’s just a matter of getting it right in themiddle. I think Herschelle is pretty much the same. If both of us get astart, it’s important that we cash in.”