Steve Smith committed to victory against South Africa

South Africa have caused them more trouble than any of their other Test opponents.

  Steven Smith and South Africa.  Rightly or wrongly, that nation will forever be associated with Australia's greatest batsman since Sir Donald Bradman.

  But it's not just Cape Town and Sandpaper Gate that connect Smith and South Africa.  It's no secret that South Africa have caused Australia's batsmen more trouble than any of their other Test opponents.

  Barring Bangladesh, whom Smith has faced only twice, he has averaged 49 or more against all other Test opponents, South Africa.  In fairness to Smith, his average of 41.53 against South Africa would be the envy of most Test batsmen.  Mark Waugh is hailed as a modern great in Australia and had a career average of 41.81.

  But for Smith, his record of just one century and three half-centuries in 17 innings against South Africa, against the backdrop of an astonishing current career mark of 60.98, is a thorn in his side.  The prospect of facing them again in a three-Test series for the first time since the infamous 2018 saga has him eager to prove a point in more ways than one.

  "I'm really excited," Smith said after Australia's series win against the West Indies in Adelaide.  “South Africa is probably a team, they have bowled very well for me in the past, my record is probably not as good against them as against others.

  "Some of the bowlers I'll be up against, I've come up against them before. I'm really looking forward to the series like everyone else. Hopefully I'll get into a good team."

  He's already in a good groove.  Smith believes he is batting at his best since 2014 and has returned to a more side-on approach that incidentally saw him score his only Test century in 2014 against South Africa at Centurion.

  He is fresh from an invitation to the West Indies in Perth where he scored 220 not out.  But he's not resting on his laurels.  He was disappointed to miss out on the fun in Adelaide, registering a rare first-innings duck that stood as a surprising outlier on Australia's scorecard between Marnus Leboschgen's 163 and Travis Head's 175.

Such is Smith's thirst for batting and improvement, with Australia already two innings into the game before the fourth and final day in Adelaide, Smith was thrown down with red balls by the coaching staff in the nets.  was facing  First Test in six days in Brisbane.

  "I'm feeling in a good place, batting well, feeling in a good rhythm and I'm looking forward to it," Smith said.  "Had a hit against the red ball in preparation this morning, just switching to the pink, so the focus can now be fully on South Africa and I can't wait."

  He also knows that South Africa is a step above what he is facing now.  West Indies pacer Alzari Joseph bowled some quick and decent spells at 140 kmph in the two-Test series, but Smith largely avoided them.  Instead, he offered mostly 130km/h off-spin from Kemar Roach, Jayden Sales, Jason Holder and Kyle Meyers, as well as the less dangerous off-spin of Ruston Chase and Craig Brathwaite.

  Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj will await Smith in Brisbane, having dismissed him three times in Tests.  Dean Elgar has oddly picked it up twice as well.  But Enrich Nortje, Marco Johnson and Lungi Ngidi will not be shy about testing Smith's revamped approach, just as New Zealand's Neil Wagner and England's Mark Wood forced them to review their technique in recent summers.

  "You play what's in front of you," Smith said.  "Sometimes it's easier to score when you're facing fast bowlers and things like that than if you're facing someone who's bowling at 130kph.  doing and surrounding them.

  "That's the key to any attack, to have that kind of variety so you never get into a rhythm as a batsman. I think South Africa provide that; they have Noortje 150kph, Rabada 140.  -150, then there are the left-armers. Johnson, and a good spinner in Maharaj. It will be a good challenge for our batsmen and hopefully we can continue the way we have started the summer.  "

  Smith will relish the challenge on the field.  As daunting a prospect as a South African attack is, it would be more welcome than a constant revisiting of the events in Cape Town in 2018.  Make headlines while also trying to avoid reopening old wounds.

  "The cricket we have played in the last four-and-a-half years, we have played the right way, we have worked hard and played with the right spirit," Smith said.  "Nothing has changed for us, we will just carry on with our business and hopefully continue to play good, entertaining cricket."

  Smith and South Africa are not a match made in heaven, but they remain a promoter's dream.