Containing India's brilliant batting line-up is the key to success for South Africa in the first semi-final at the Premadasa Stadium.
Sourav Ganguly's side emerged confidently from the hardest group against England and Zimbabwe.
And they are keen to match their performance at the 2000 ICC Knockout in Kenya, where they reached the final.
South African captain Shaun Pollock will spearhead their attack and has reminded his fellow bowlers that there will be no margin for error.
"We're confident, but the Indian batsmen can be quite devastating," he admitted.
"The bowlers know this isn't going to be a walk in the park. The Indian batsmen have shown the damage that can be caused if they're allowed to take charge."
Veteran paceman Allan Donald will return to the side, but Nicky Boje and Allan Dawson are rated only 50-50 because of injuries.
So concerned are South Africa about the pair that Steve Elworthy and Robin Peterson were summoned from home to provide cover.
The Champions Trophy semi-final against South Africa on Wednesday will be the 20th one-day international for Delhi's left-arm seam bowler Ashish Nehra.
The lanky youngster says he is still very much in the learning process and hopes to bowl a similar opening spell on Wednesday to the one he bowled against England where he picked up the crucial wickets of Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain in his first four overs.
"Both me and Zaheer Khan bowled a very tight opening spell in the match against England.
Trescothick was a very important wicket for us and I was very thrilled to get that one early for the team. I just plan to bowl like that tomorrow. Just keeping a tight line and not trying too many things," said Nehra before the crucial match against South Africa.
"The conditions here are very humid and one has to be very fit to deliver the goods. But I have really worked hard on my fitness. Trainer Adrian le Roux has really helped a lot.
Now I do not pick up injuries like I used to. Probably that was just bad luck I really do not know. But I also feel a lot fitter now than may be six months earlier," said Nehra.
Shaun Pollock, though not taken aback, was greeted by a pitch that would suit the Indian spinners as South Africa prepared for their ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against Sourav Ganguly's team at the Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday.
The match, which has created so much hype after India's stunning eight wicket win over England on Sunday, will be played on the same pitch on which Ganguly and Virender Sehwag slaughtered the English bowlers.
There's a tinge of grass but Nanda Ranasinghe, the chief curator of the Premadasa Stadium, said the pitch was ready to be handed over to the officials.
"I don't think we will shave off any more grass. It has a bit of everything for the players of both teams - there will be a bit of bounce, like you saw in the India-England match and it will also help the spinners. It will be a case of the team making the most out of it and being rewarded in the end," he said.
South African fast bowler Allan Donald feels he has the key to unravel India's strong batting line-up when the two sides clash in the first Champions Trophy semifinal on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old will reach 150 one-day internationals in Colombo if the 1998 champions reach the final, but that will happen only if their fast bowlers stop the Indian batsmen on a slow Premadasa stadium pitch.
"They are a very good batting line-up, especially in Sri Lanka," Donald said.
"In any place, even in India or Pakistan, they are going to be quite devastating."
Donald, who has taken 250 one-day wickets at 21.32 apiece, felt pace alone might not do the trick.
"As a bowler, you've got to mix it up with pace. It is going to take a huge effort, a skilful effort, for us to pull it off."
Damien Martyn has recovered from a hip injury which kept him out of the Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh and will be fit for Friday's semi-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said Martyn is back to full fitness after resting up during the team's sojourn in the Maldives.
The Aussies had a searching training session in the Colombo heat as they counted down to the Sri Lanka showdown.
"It was a very tough session and not necessarily enforced by the coach or the support staff, I think it's come from within the team," Gilchrist said.
