Chennai: South African captain Graeme Smith said on Saturday that his side was ready to face the Indian challenge in the three-Test series, starting at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.

“It is going to be exciting. The Indians are confident... We are also here with lot of confidence. Playing anywhere in the sub-continent is a challenge and we are confident we can meet the challenge,” he told a press conference.

“This is the tour we have been looking forward to. It is crucial as we have two tough series coming up against England and Australia,” Smith, who guided the Proteas to the No. 1 spot in the ODI rankings, said.

Smith was confident they will be able to put their selection problems behind them.

“It is a disappointment… We feel for the players and have spoken to them. It affects the team certainly. But we are a matured family and our job is to continue with cricket.”

Smith also indicated that the series would not be marred by sledging.

“We hope the series will be played in good spirit. If we win the sledging battle and don’t win the cricket battle, nobody is going to remember us,” he said when asked about the war of words between Indian and Australian players during the series Down Under. (Agencies)