As South Africa prepares to face India at the iconic Eden Gardens, head coach Shukri Conrad believes the upcoming Test represents the toughest challenge of his tenure.
“India is a tough challenge anywhere in the world, and when you come to a venue like Eden Gardens, it just makes it even tougher,” Conrad said ahead of the series opener.
“I don’t think you can compare the quality of any side to India – this will be our biggest challenge. In my 20th match, there hasn’t been a bigger one. Yes, we had the final against Australia, which we won, but I can’t compare this series to that. That’s how big it is for us.”
Conrad believes that the current pack of spinners can help them compete effectively in India, stating, “Having good spinners like Simon, Keshav, and Senuran gives us a lot of confidence.”
“Previously, we didn’t have as good a pack of spinners. It gives us the armoury to challenge India in that respect.”
With most of South Africa’s batters having spent time on Indian soil and in the IPL, Conrad feels that familiarity will prove vital.
“Previously, you’d come to India without any experience and be taken aback by the occasion,” he explained. “Now our guys are comfortable in these environments, comfortable with the opposition, because of their involvement in the IPL, and that makes it easier to adapt. The conditions are not foreign, and the opposition is not foreign. It’s still going to be difficult, but we’re quietly confident we can make history at Eden Gardens and in India.”
While spin naturally dominates discussions in India, Conrad expects the quicks to have their say early on and make a substantial impact. “Everybody talks about spin, but both sides have world-class fast bowlers,” he said.
“If history is to be believed, there’s always something for the quicks at Eden Gardens – especially in the first few days before spin comes into play. There are so many battles within this big war. With all the match-ups, it’s a mouth-watering prospect.”
Conrad was particularly pleased to see captain Temba Bavuma return to form in the four-day match ahead of the series. “Temba is massive for us – he’s our best player,” Conrad said. “Winning in Pakistan without him made it even better. Over the last two years, he’s been one of the best players in the world. His record speaks for itself – his calmness, leadership, and quiet demeanour mean so much to this group. We’re thrilled he got through the ‘A’ game well.”
The Proteas coach chuckled as he reflected on Bavuma’s duck in the first innings of the ‘A’ game, saying, “I remember speaking to him when he got a first baller, we were hoping he got some time in the middle – in the second innings, he did so all systems go on that front.”
The coach also reflected on the significance of winning the World Test Championship earlier this year – and what lies ahead for his side. “Winning the WTC was massive for us. We’re a team without superstars, maybe except Kagiso Rabada, but this young, inexperienced unit delivered a performance at Lord’s that was massive for our cricket and our country,” Conrad said.
Using the persisting problems in South Africa as a motivation, the Proteas coach said, “We have so many issues in our country, so anytime we can contribute to the feel-good factor in our country and for our cricket, we’re thrilled by it.”
Looking forward and with an eye on the future of this Test Championship cycle, Conrad was eager to prove detractors wrong. “This series is massive if we want to be in the running again. We’ve got England, Australia, and Sri Lanka away next year – all tough series. It will be great to get there again for everyone who said we didn’t deserve to be there previously. We are not only looking at the WTC, we are looking at delivering a performance that can make history for us.”
With a sense of bewilderment, the South African coach added, “I can’t even remember when last we won a Test match or Test series here.”
With no Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, India’s Test team has a new look – something Conrad joked about. “I am glad they are no longer here,” he said, eliciting laughter from the media present. “India’s cricket will always be strong because of the healthy competition in the side – you know if you’ve made it into the side, you’ve worked hard for it. They have a new bunch of superstars and leaders – Shubman (Gill) is a great leader, we saw that in the England series.
They have exciting, confident cricketers, but so do we.”
This will be a true litmus test for the Proteas against an evolving but powerful Indian side, where the credentials of the current World Test Champions will be tested to their absolute limit.
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