Smith happy to bank on South Africa's unpredictability

NAGPUR: South Africa have opened their bowling with spinners in the World Cup, which has surprised many, but it was just a well-thought ploy to add more "unpredictability" to the side, captain Graeme Smith said.

The African nation have two tearaway fast bowlers in Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in their side but in two out of their three matches, the spinners -- Johan Botha and Robin Peterson -- has been handed the new ball alongside a paceman.

It was not without a reason if Smith is to be believed.

"It has been very successful for us. Everything we have tried, seems to have worked. As a bowling unit, we have been very strong in this tournament so far," Smith told reporters on the eve of their Group B match against India.

On both occasions, the spinners managed to provide the initial breakthroughs, vindicating captain Smith.

"The unpredictability is something that stands us in good stead," Smith said.

"Most people have thought in the past that we have been predictable. They knew what to expect from the South African team.

"But I think we are lot more difficult to plan against now."

The fact that Pakistan-born leg spinner Imran Tahir is their highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 11 scalps from three matches, also justified Smith.

The captain was still undecided if he needed to risk playing Tahir, who fractured his left thumb during the defeat by England, against India on Saturday.

"He has bowled this week, and come through fine, it's just whether we feel the need to risk him tomorrow or not and that we'll decide later," Smith said.

The captain felt taking wickets was the best way to contain teams from posting big totals in the tournament.

"For us if we can pick up wickets, we feel it is the best way to curb run rate and control the game," Smith said.

"We have got a lot of wicket-taking options in our line-up which is something we wanted.

"Hope we can keep bowling as well as we have and keep taking wickets and keep posting decent totals. I really believe we got the line-up to defend totals."