He is on the verge of equalling Hansie Cronje's record for most Test wins by a South African captain, and his team is on the threshold of a series triumph against India. No wonder South Africa captain Graeme Smith is confidence personified, the nature of the question notwithstanding.
It is this confidence that ensures Smith minces no words when asked about his team's chances in the third Test, beginning Friday.
"We are certainly the more confident of the two teams," he asserts, and there is no hint of diplomacy here. "We have played better cricket in this series.
"India has more question marks regarding injury and selection," he explains, the reference palpably being towards his injured Indian counterpart.
Smith is certainly buoyed by his side's thumping win at Motera a few days back, a victory that came in the wake of impressive series wins in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
"We have worked for this opportunity for the whole season. It is just about redoing the same thing again," he explained.
The fact that his country is looking to win a series in India for a second time in the last 10 years (after 1999-2000) also explains his enthusiasm.
"Only two countries (South Africa and Australia) have managed to beat India at home in a Test series in the last 20 years and that explains how tough it is to play here," he said, trying to justify the significance of the occasion.
That he has also delivered with the bat -- Smith has 142 runs from three innings @ 47.33 in this series so far and 706 runs @ an impressive 78.44 in six Tests this year, the best so far -- has also added to his confidence level. And when you are brimming with confidence other things hardly matter and Smith is no different.
While speculation is rife about the nature of the wicket and the fact that it is under prepared, Smith refrains from making any statements regarding the same.
"Actually, I have no view of the wicket," was his blunt reply. There is an explanation thereafter though.
"There has been enough speculation about the nature of the wicket wherever we have played on this tour," he explains. "But we have maintained our focus throughout and executed our game plan to perfection.
"In the last two Tests a few things have worked for us. We hope things work for us here too."
One of the four members of the team that toured Kanpur back in 2004, Smith believes they were lucky to escape with a draw then.
"That was a stage when a lot of fringe guys were involved in the team and we came into the match 0-1 down. However, we took a few risks and they paid off," he remembers. Four years on, he is looking for nothing less than a win.
"With the way the pitch is looking now, it opens up all the possibilities for all the bowlers," he said with a smile.
"We have extra variety, and certainly more options in our bowling attack. Playing two spinners is a possibility," he concluded, palpably hinting at the inclusion of Robin Petersen -- who also happened to be a part of Smith's team in the abovementioned Kanpur Test -- in the South African team for the third Test.
With regard to team composition though, he prefers to keep his cards close to his chest till the last minute. Don't expect many surprises though!