'Morne Morkel is the enemy now': Graeme Smith's got the jokes, but tells South Africa to watch out for Jasprit Bumrah

"Morne? Oh yeah, he is the enemy now. He is on the wrong side of the fence," Smith said with a laugh. "As for Faf, ever since I've been playing with him, he's taken his grooming very seriously. In my days, we used to play with baggy shirts, and Faf changed the whole image to make it a lot fitter. He has always been at the forefront of fashion and youth."

Smith’s upbeat energy was hardly surprising. Riding on the success of three stellar SA20 seasons, the commissioner is eagerly looking forward to another thrilling month of cricket starting December 26. Adding to his enthusiasm is the remarkable progress South African cricket has made over the past year and a half — winning the World Test Championship, reaching the T20 World Cup final last year, and making the Women’s World Cup final earlier this year. The trajectory, as Smith sees it, is firmly upward.

However, with the defending champions now in India to begin a new World Test Championship cycle against the two-time finalists, Smith’s tone shifted from light-hearted to serious. The series may not feature many veterans from their last encounter, yet one duel is already generating buzz: Jasprit Bumrah versus Kagiso Rabada. South Africa haven't won a Test series in India since 2000, nor even a Test match since 2010 — 25 and 15 years, respectively. To end that drought, Smith believes Temba Bavuma and his men would do well to heed his warning about 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 addressed the media on the SA20 India day event.

Smith was at the helm when South Africa last defeated India by an innings and six runs at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium. Since then, the fortunes have flipped — they were floored 0–3 in 2015 and swept 0–3 in 2019.

‘South Africa have the confidence’, reminds Smith… and why wouldn't they?

This time, however, the narrative feels a little different. India haven’t opted for rank turners, pitches that have long worked to their advantage at home. That decision gives South Africa a better shot at breaking the deadlock. Still, the inclusion of three spinners — Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthuswamy — suggests they’re prepared for a quick tactical shift should the conditions suddenly favour spin.

"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," added Smith.

The tag of world champions will no doubt lift South Africa’s confidence; as will the recent feat of their A team chasing down 417 against India A in the second unofficial Test. With Test cricket returning to Eden Gardens after a five-year hiatus — the venue last hosted South Africa in 2019 — Smith underlined the importance of starting well.

"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 mentioned.

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