South African legend Barry Richards, one of the game’s prolific and finest batsmen, spoke to The Telegraph on the eve of Sunday’s big-ticket contest at Eden Gardens.

Excerpts:

Q: South Africa’s performance in this edition has perhaps been a motivation to watch them play back home. Have you been closely following their performance?

A: The timings haven’t been very convenient for us but I have made it a point to catch up on the highlights. I am very close to Quinny (Quinton de Kock) and have been following his performances with much interest. At the moment he is playing without pressure and his scores are a reflection of that. He is not going to play ODIs anymore and concentrate only on T20s and that has taken the pressure off him.

Q: So his retirement is going to be a big setback for the team?

A: Yeah... He’s a world-class player and it makes a hole in the side. South Africa will miss him quite a bit.

Q: Your thoughts on Sunday’s India-South Africa match?

A: Going by current form that is probably the final without being the final. You know what I mean... They seem to be the two best teams on the field.

Q: What has made a difference for South Africa this time? Is it Quinton’s batting or the performance of others like Aiden Markram or Rassie Van der Dussen?

A: Markram we have always felt has never played to potential... Never shown his real talent. He has always made good 20s and 30s but I think he has now worked out his batting and realised he needs to do more than that. In Rassie Van Der, you can trust and (he) is one of the finest strikers in world cricket. He plays in a slightly different way and doesn’t come at you hard... Stays back at the crease and strikes. So in smaller Indian grounds, he has been very effective. And there’s David Miller... You give him 10/15 overs at the end and he can be devastating. We’ve got the ingredients to make 350-plus every time we come out to bat.

Q: South Africa often fail to maintain consistency. They lost to the Netherlands in this edition. Any reason?

A: It is one of those things where you think you will win and then lose a couple of wickets and get under pressure. I’m sure India would have taken note of that collapse. Maybe it’s a way to go and we can also put them under pressure in a similar fashion. They have still got to convince a lot of people that they are good at chasing down totals. It seems to affect them more when they play lower-ranked teams. If they are suddenly 15/2 and they lose Quinton they don’t seem to play positive cricket. It just doesn’t work. So it will be interesting to see as to what they do if they win the toss on Sunday.

Q: Are the wickets helping India?

A: I’m sure when they make the final the wickets will turn a little bit. That’s to be expected when you go to India and should plan for. One of the things that hasn’t been talked about much is the effect of their coach Rob Walter. He is one of those who prefers to remain in the background but has been very effective.

Q: How do you rate Heinrich Klaasen who has emerged as one of the best power-hitters in this World Cup?

A: He is a very clean striker of the ball and I’ve been very impressed. He has a slightly different technique from most players. He gets underneath the ball and never misses an opportunity. Hence he has been very effective.

Q: Is Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s form the key for India?

A: We always expected India to do well at home. Rohit and Virat have been around for a while now and know their class. So there’s always this expectation that they will deliver in a big event. So it’s been no real surprise. Don’t forget India’s bowling has also been quite effective.

Q: Marco Jansen’s coming through as a good all-rounder at No.7 has also helped their cause. Your thoughts?

A: I’ve been very impressed with him and that’s been one of the key elements why South Africa bat so well. He’s someone who can play some decent shots lower down the order and that has been a real bonus. He will become a very good all-rounder in time to come.

Q: Is this South Africa’s best chance?

A: Yeah, best chance but India are always going to be very, very difficult to beat. I think South Africa believe they can do it since the expectations aren’t too much. They have to do it.