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New Delhi - Graeme Smith gave his South Africa team a "big tick" after its newfound spinning strength set up a seven-wicket win over West Indies at the start of its World Cup campaign.
Smith said the inclusion of three specialist spin bowlers "worked out" for the Proteas in New Delhi on Thursday as Imran Tahir took 4-41 and Johan Botha 2-48 - including a wicket in the first over when Smith's decision to open the bowling with the offspinner paid off handsomely.
But the South Africans won't get carried away by the early impact of their spinners, Smith said, promising to judge each game - and each opponent - on its merits.
Now confirmed as one of the title favorites, the Proteas face a long break before their next match, against Netherlands and its South African-born batsman Ryan ten Doeschate, on March 3.
"We tried a few things and they worked out so it is a big tick," Smith said following the comfortable win over a dangerous West Indies lineup at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. "We'll move on to Netherlands and the Mohali wicket and we'll assess the pitch and the team we are up against. We've got eight days to think about that now, so it's good time.
"I don't know if three spinners is a strategy. It worked for us today but we will reassess going into the next game."
Smith said it was also "a good day" for him as captain as South Africa's tactical decisions were spot on, starting with Botha's immediate impact to dismiss Chris Gayle off the third ball of the innings.
"I was just thinking it (opening with a spinner) through the week," Smith said, "so I asked Bots (Johan Botha) to practice a bit in training. Sometimes when you come up with things and they work out it is a great feeling. They don't always do that but today was one of those days."
The success of Botha, Tahir - who was making his competitive debut - and slow left-armer Robin Peterson would also boost South Africa's pace attack, Smith said, as the Proteas search for the ideal balance to their bowling on subcontinent pitches.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn almost went unnoticed with his superb 3-24 at the end of the West Indies innings.
"I think that's one of the advantages of having really good spinning options. When we do use Dale (Steyn) he can come on and make a really big impact for us," Smith said. "His pace was really up today."
Even with the success of South Africa's new approach against West Indies, where it swung away from its traditional reliance on pace bowling, and even opened with a slow bowler, Smith said it may not always be so adventurous.
"If you can be one step ahead it's always a bonus, but sometimes you'll do things and they don't work out and you'd be asking me 'why did you do that?'," Smith said.
"Today(Thursday) was a good day, all the things that I wanted to do were good but sometimes you don't have to complicate your lives. It's about getting the basics right and sometimes the simple option is the best one."
