We could have been up 3-0: Graeme Smith

'We could have easily been 3-0 up' is exactly what Graeme Smith had said of South Africa's 1-1 Test series result against England in the 2009-10 season

'We could have easily been 3-0 up' is exactly what Graeme Smith had said of South Africa's 1-1 Test series result against England in the 2009-10 season.

Around 14 months later, Smith's outfit is in a similar predicament and it's their inability to win at crucial moments that has them trailing 1-2 to India in the ongoing five-match ODI series.

Having lost their first game at Cape Town in almost eight years, South Africa are in a do-or-die situation going into today's fixture here at St George's Park.

"We could have easily been 3-0 up in the series," Smith said, this time of the ongoing ODI series.u00a0

"The nature of wickets hasn't been easy to bat on. We have played decent cricket and need to continue playing with a good spirit," he said.

Smith sounded like a bundle of excuses, further blaming the announcement of the World Cup squads for his side's inability to defeat India.

"I think the tension has been lifted off players because the World Cup squads are out. Hopefully, they will play with a lot more freedom now. They won't be under that pressure now," he said.

"It is a good time to learn our lessons now. Going into a must-win situation must be taken as a challenge. It's a time where you look at (the situation) and say: 'I have to perform tomorrow, I have to make a difference.'

There will be 11 of us on the field, and we have got to trust each other that each of us will perform our roles and we have got to be good enough to get us over the line," said Smith.
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With overcast conditions expected, the South African skipper hinted that the toss would play a crucial role since the natural light is not great.

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