South Africans look to 'love and care'

Ray Jennings and the South African team he coaches may arrive in India with the motto "Love and care", but they will leave few stones unturned as they bid to become the first side in modern times to win back-to-back Test series on Indian soil. "It's funny what you can do when there's love and care around," said Jennings, quoted in The Mercury. According to him, the players' love for the game and care for their performances would dictate their fortunes in India.

Graeme Smith, the captain, was also full of confidence after his squad spent five days at the High Performance Centre over the past week. "We know there are sceptics out there who don't think this team are capable of performing well," he said. "We know we have a young side and most of the squad have never been to India, but we're looking forward to the challenge. There are guys here who want to become heroes."

Smith is one of 10 players in the squad who have never played in India, and he can expect a barrage of questions about the absence of Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje, both of whom were unavailable to tour after the Delhi Police failed to guarantee that they wouldn't be subjected to questioning in connection with the match-fixing scandal that overshadowed South Africa's last trip to India.

"I don't want to be protected from anything we have to face in India," said Smith. "We want to go over there and experience the culture and embrace as much of the place as we can."

The inexperience in Indian conditions didn't worry Jennings either. "The lack of experience in this side does not scare me. If the public and the media are writing us off that's okay too, because it's up to us to prove everyone wrong.

South Africa's News24 website had more fighting talk from Jennings. "Nothing and no-one will get in the way of my players and an opportunity to be successful in India," he was quoted as saying. "If doors are closed, I will kick them open. Nothing must stop the process to bring about energy into South Africa's cricket."

Jennings promised that he would have no time for those who shied away from what is perhaps the harshest experience in Test cricket. "We are ready for the challenge," he said. "The hotter it becomes, the more pleased we will be.

"We want to bring the message across to as many people as possible that we are going to fight fire with fire on the tour to India and we will not stand back one centimetre."

Smith echoed that fighting talk ahead of the team's departure when he said, "I play to win - if it is beach cricket, a club match or anything else. To win is all. We are going to India with a well thought-out gameplan. Obviously I do not want to say too much about it, but our strategy has been carefully worked out and I think we have a plan to beat India."

He admitted that there would be leaves taken out of the Australian book, after the world champions succeeded in neutralising the considerable threat posed by India's batting order. "They have a strong batting lineup and that is their strength," said Smith. "They do not like to be curtailed in front of their own supporters and they like to score runs quickly. One of our plans is to stop them making runs and make it as difficult as possible for them to keep the scoreboard ticking over. We can force them to make mistakes by frustrating them."

And if he needs further tips on that, a phone call to his old pals, McGrath and Gillespie, might do the trick.