If ever confirmation was needed that captaincy can make a difference — both positively and negatively — the first Test between South Africa and England provided all the evidence required.u00a0With both teams vying for No 1 ranking, South Africa recovered spectacularly from a lethargic first day to take 17 for 358 over the remaining four days. Meanwhile England managed to capture just two scalps at the exorbitant cost of 637 runs. Two attacks of similar standing and skill, how could the results be so different on the same pitch?u00a0There were a number of reasons including the calibre of batting and the changing conditions but the mind-set of the respective captains also played a part.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith during the first Test against England at The Oval recently. Pic/Getty Images