India vs South Africa today in ICC World Cup 2011

South Africa captain Graeme Smith feels their clash against India in Nagpur on Saturday will be one of the biggest contests in the group stages of the World Cup.

While the Proteas have been training in Nagpur for the last couple of days, the Indians reached the Orange City on Thursday and Smith is looking to cash in on the fatigue of the Indian players.

“We have been in the sub-continent for close to a month now and have played only three games, something which doesn’t normally happen with the tight cricketing calendar. But having said that, we have no complaints and have enjoyed the break in between games,” Smith said.

“We have been training in Nagpur for the last couple of days while a tired and jet-lagged Indian team arrived only today. They have played three games in a very short span of time and we will look to use that to our advantage.”

The South Africa skipper feels there will hardly be any surprise elements in the match. “We have had a long summer where we played each other in all formats of the game and we more or less know each others’ strengths and weaknesses. So there isn’t much of a surprise factor.

But it will be a big game with the crowd coming in to watch India in action,” he said. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has been a revelation for the South Africans, but he might not play on Saturday in order to get fit for the knock-out stages.

“Although we haven’t yet decided whether to play him or keep him out, he might be rested on Saturday so that he can recover from the thumb fracture and play in the knock-out stages. He is a key factor for us. He will need close to 10 days’ rest. The only saving grace is that it is not on his bowling hand,” Smith said.

Expecting a flat track at the Vidarbha Crickey Association Stadium in Jamtha, Smith said: “Batting might be India’s strength, but our batsmen wouldn’t mind playing on batting tracks either, especially after the poor wicket in Chennai. I feel the wicket let us down there, else we played some good cricket.”

He also said that comments about the team faltering at crucial stages had little merit.

“I know people get emotional every time we lose, but it is important to stay strong. Also, luck is an important factor in every match. Frankly we weren’t lucky against England. It is still one of the most open tournaments and everyone has a chance to win,” Smith added.