Up against 'the wall' of South Africa

Hashim Amla is South Africa’s very own Rahul Dravid — The Wall. Strong, stubborn and unflappable, he is difficult to dislodge, intensity oozing out of his batting.

For the Indian bowlers, he has been a nightmare, having scored four centuries in the last three Tests. Kingsmead, the venue of the second Test, is his home ground and what’s more, he will be playing his 50th Test.

It would be unlike him if he shouts from the rooftop about personal milestones and Amla, when questioned about it, predictably plays down the factor.

“I don’t think I was looking past the next game. Fortunately, things have gone well and I’ve managed to reach 50 Tests. But the 50th Test match doesn’t make it any more important, to be honest.” Like a true team man, the bearded batsman adds: “The team always comes first and the fact that we won the last Test in a big series has taken precedence over any other distraction.”

His focus now is to contribute to his team’s win and thinks South Africa can seal the series here. “Our bowlers and batsmen have been in good nick and hopefully we can continue in that vein. It’s a big chance to seal the series, but as you can see it’s hot and humid so it’s going to be hard work.”

But Amla would not want to discuss the secret of his success against India. “I really don’t know what to say. I’m just grateful that I’ve had a good year so far, and the year is not over yet. At the end of the day it’s the players who can perform consistently that stand out.”

He also refuses to give too much importance to the imminent return of Zaheer Khan into Indian XI. “Zaheer’s a quality bowler. But in our team we don’t place a lot of emphasis on one opposition bowler. Each batsman has just got to try and do his preparation in the best way possible.”

Amla has experienced rare failure at this venue having managed 122 runs in five Tests at just over 13 runs. He hopes to correct the record. “It would be lovely if I can score a century because my record here is not good. It would be lovely to make a good contribution to the team here.”

He knows the Kingsmead pitch like the back of his hand. “I’ve been very fortunate growing up on this wicket, with the bounce and the pace. I’m not sure how the Test wicket is going to play, but on a good day, when the wicket’s flat, it’s a fantastic place to play,” he reveals.