'We won't allow the Indians any chance to get in' - Smith

Despite the comprehensive nature of the 157-run victory in Durban, Graeme Smith asserted that there would be no hint of complacency as they took on India on a Newlands pitch that was likely to be a lot less pacy than the one 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 to an embattled batting line-up.

"Obviously, we have worked hard and taken a lot of confidence from the first match," he said. "We've talked at length on how to adapt to the Newlands wicket. I think the first 10 or 15 overs, whether we bat or bowl first, is going to be crucial. It will set up the game. We'll make sure we don'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 had been surprised by the ineptitude on display in Durban. "They arrived a day or two before the first game [in Benoni]," he said. "They really didn't have any net practice. The day after arrival is always a tough day with jetlag, and they went straight into the first game cold. There was a lot of rain in Jo'burg, no nets, and then a bit of rain in Durban. So they were probably a bit undercooked going into it.

"We expect them to bounce back here and we are not going to take them lightly. But we have sorted out our plans for tomorrow, and Newlands has been a fantastic place for us." Back in March, his team routed Australia by 196 runs, with Makhaya Ntini taking 6 for 22 before the lights had been fully switched on.

Herschelle Gibbs's loss of form has been written about in the South African media, and Smith himself didn't enjoy the best of starts to the series at Kingsmead. "It's not a worry," he said. "If I can speak for myself, I'm feeling really good. It's just that I have played only five games in four months, and we need a bit of time in the middle. I'm feeling good at the nets, and it's just a matter of getting it right in the middle. I think Herschelle is pretty much the same. If both of us get a start, it's important that we cash in."