I can get better, says Hashim Amla

Seemingly superhuman Hashim Amla tells DNA that he isn’t the finished article yet and says the impression that he does not smile often is wrong.

At the presentation party in Kolkata you said you needed rest. Did you get enough rest?
Yes. Thank you very much. The flight was in the afternoon. So there was enough rest.

A total of 490 runs and about 24 hours of batting in two Tests…
I don’t think there is any transformation. The more Tests you play, the better you become as a batsman. In Nagpur, we made important runs to help the side win the Test and in Kolkata we took the Test down to the wire. I’m happy that the series has been successful for me. When I look around the world, I can see many fantastic batsmen having better series. I need to improve myself. I can get better.

Do you think you are playing your best cricket?
I don’t think any batsman can ever say that he is a finished article. There are many batsmen in the world with 100-plus Tests and many more centuries. I stand nowhere in front of them with just 40 Tests. I must admit I do have my weaknesses. I want to improve further by the time of our next Test series in the West Indies.

Not many batsmen have tormented Indian bowlers in home conditions like you have. Have you modelled yourself on any particular player?
When I first started my career, there were questions about my technique. But I’ve not changed my style barring a few adjustments here and there. But while growing up, players like Brian Lara and Steve Waugh have always been inspirations for me.

You are emerging as a strong No 3, like Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting…
Whoever says that is misinformed. Rahul and Ricky have tons of runs and have played over 100 Tests each. Rahul has scored runs everywhere in the world. They are among the top three to five batsmen in the world. Putting my name alongside theirs is unfair to them.

How did you prepare for this series?
The South African team in general does strong preparation before a series in the subcontinent. There are a few guys, including me, who were here before. We practised against spin and reverse swing before coming here. The team had a discussion and a few training sessions. I think that helped us a lot.

Who were the bowlers difficult to face up to — spinners or pacers?
That’s a tough question. At different stages of the games, different bowlers were difficult. Ishant [Sharma] bowled well upfront and whenever the ball was reverse-swinging, Zaheer [Khan] was a difficult bowler. He’s a world class bowler and takes wickets in clusters. So he put a lot of pressure on us. And once the ball got older, Harbhajan [Singh] and [Amit] Mishra were very effective. Mishra was unlucky in the first game, but Harbhajan was good in every game.

Were you surprised that the Eden Test lasted till the penultimate over?
At one stage, I was a bit surprised. When we lost wickets regularly, it was difficult for us to put up a resistance. We were down to No 8. But the way Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel conducted themselves was amazing. They are relatively inexperienced but they showed a lot of promise. They were relaxed. The way they handled the spinners and seamers was fantastic. For tailenders to be relaxed in that kind of a situation is a tribute to them. They epitomise the character of our team — never give up.

How do you look at the ODIs? 
I’m not looking too far ahead. I have played 20-odd ODIs. But I’m happy for the opportunity I got. I’m looking forward to doing well in the matches.

You look intensely serious...
I don’t think that is true. You should ask my teammates. When we win, I try to enjoy myself. Defending a match on the final day of a Test… it was quite tense the other day. I was trying hard to concentrate, but that I don’t smile is not true.