South African legend Barry Richards, one of the game’s most prolific batsmen, played only four Test matches because of South Africa’s sporting isolation. That, however, didn’t stop him from showcasing his talent for Hampshire and South Australia, besides Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.

Richards, 80, spoke to The Telegraph on the upcoming series against India.

Excerpts...

Q: South Africa are taking on a young and inexperienced Indian side. How do you see this contest?

A: South Africa are a lot more competitive than they have been in recent times. I think the World Test Championship (WTC) would have given them a very big boost because that was a very good final against Australia. But obviously playing in India is a little bit more different because of the conditions.

South Africa play hard... the players now play a lot around the world and in the IPL. So the conditions are not a big surprise for them... But the Indian side is always going to be competitive at home. They probably got about four spinners that they can pick from, but who are they going to pick? There might be one left-arm, one right-arm. That’s probably the way they will go...

South Africa do play the spinners a bit better than they used to. A lot will also depend on the grounds... Eden Gardens is quite big, but Guwahati I’m not quite sure. It depends what style of play they want to adopt.

The batting is important for South Africa, but they need to have a good start.

Q: Does New Zealand’s success in India last year provide hope to South Africa?

A: Yeah, that was a big surprise. That’s the only reason South Africa got into the final. I think the expectation was that India would beat New Zealand. That’s the one thing that I think South Africa could learn... If they can establish a little bit of an ascendancy in the first match... That’s what New Zealand did. They were strong in the first match and got the confidence to play well. I think the first match is going to determine how the series turns out.

Q: South Africa will have regular captain Temba Bavuma back. How much of a difference will it make to the side, given that Aiden Markram had led them to a 1-1 draw in Pakistan?

A: Obviously, they knew that Temba would always come back. His record in Test cricket is pretty good. I don’t expect any upheaval in the team. I think that he probably worked well with Markram as his vice-captain. As a unit, they will work pretty well.

Q: What sets Bavuma apart as a captain?

A: He’s got a lot of confidence and I think he’s got a lot of support in the team. He’s not the kind of captain who just strides out there like an MS Dhoni. He’s more collaborative. He likes to ask a few questions of the senior players, that sort of thing. But he does make the decisions himself. There’s always a little bit of pressure being the captain and he’s coming back from injury, so it’s going to be testing for him. But if he comes through it... That’s why I say the
first Test is so important because that’s what’s going to set the tone.

Q: Off-spinner Simon Harmer played a key role in the victory in Pakistan (top wicket-taker and fashioned the second Test win). How much of an impact can he make?

A: There’s not a lot of difference. He’s been around a long time. He’s played a lot of cricket... It’s just what sort of support he gets when there’s Keshav Maharaj. It would be testing on the Indian batsmen and on the Indian captain.

Q: South Africa pacers have always excelled in Indian conditions. Do you
think Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen can prove to be effective?

A: A lot depends on what the wickets are going to be like. But I think they work on things like reverse swing... if it’s the kind of wicket where it’s gripping and the ball gets a bit worn, then you can bolster and reverse. I think it’s got to be a test in terms of their mental preparation. If they can get early breakthroughs, that will give them a lot of confidence.

But then the catching is going to play a big part for the seamers or the quicks in India. If you can make the opportunity for a catch and somebody does grab it, you put him under pressure. But if you don’t field or catch well, then it makes it a bit more difficult. Catching in the series is going to be important.

Q: Will the batting decide the series?

A: I don’t know about deciding the series. If you can post the totals, you’re always going to put the other team under pressure. I think both teams know that. It’s just a bit about the application and what sort of plans you put in place. Whenever you’re at a venue and you look at the wickets, you have a number at the back of your mind, whether it’s 300 or 350... So it’s very hard to call what the batting gonna be like until you see the actual conditions.

Q: Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi were successful in Pakistan. Even Muthusamy was good. How successful will they be against the Indian spinners?

A: Yeah, as you say, they did well and it will give them a lot of confidence... I don’t think the conditions and the wickets that they played in Pakistan will be that much
different from India. They’ve had a lot of potential, but this is the tour where, if they stand up, they could make their whole career.

Q: What is your opinion on India captain Gill? Did you follow the series in England?

A: He’s a very competent cricketer. He’s been around for a while. He’s an entertaining sort of player. He’s not like he’s 21. He’s 26 now and has been around for a while. I don’t think there’s anything that can frighten him. He’ll have the support of the crowd. I just think the teams aren’t that far apart in terms of ability. I think it’s going to be how well you adapt on the day and how well you catch... Catching is just one of the things that nobody’s talking about.

Q: What contributed to South Africa’s success in the last WTC cycle and do you think they can continue in the same mould?

A: Yes, I think they can deliver. Again, if the Indian tour is successful and they form a very tight unit, it bodes well. This team is not particularly old. There’s not many players who are going to be retiring. So they’ve got a nice little unit that they can work with over the next two-three years. So I think they will be competitive.