South Africa vs Australia 2018: 3 key factors ahead of the Test series

Steven Smith vs AB de Villiers

Steve Smith vs AB de Villiers will be a competition to look out for

When two strong bowling units come up against each other, the team that bats better goes on to have the final laugh on most occasions. While it is anticipated to be a low-scoring series, all it takes is one crucial knock that goes a long way in winning the match. This is where Australia and South Africa will pin their hopes on two of the best batsmen going around in international cricket at the moment.

Australian captain Steven Smith has been almost unstoppable in the past few years in Test cricket. For a player who started his international career as a leg-spinner, Smith’s rise as a batsman has been nothing short of phenomenal. He finished last year as the leading run-scorer in Tests, with England being the latest to suffer during the Ashes when they ran out of all the ideas to dismiss him cheaply.

Even though there is David Warner & Co in that lineup, South Africa will be well aware of the 'Smith' threat, who likes to keep batting for long periods and is also equally strong against pace and spin.

One of the main reasons for South Africa winning the series 2-1 against India were the crucial knocks from AB de Villiers in the first two Tests. While his class is known to everyone, his style of counter-attacking batting will be crucial against a bowling attack that has been relentless for a long period.

Like Smith, De Villiers too has the knack for adapting to the match situation and is pretty good at both offensive and defensive, and will be the key to the home side’s fortunes.