Amla to improve his Durban record in his 50th Test
December 24th, 2010 - 8:34 pm ICT by IANSDurban, Dec 24 (IANS) All eyes will be on Hashim Amla who will be making his 50th Test appearance in the Boxing Day Test match against India at the Kingsmead Stadium here Sunday.Amla, who is of Indian origin, will be achieving the milestone on a day when a special photo exhibition will be on display at the Kingsmead to mark 150 years of the arrival of Indians in South Africa.
For Amla, playing his 50th Test on his home ground will certainly put some pressure on him, but his captain Graeme Smith hoped that Amla will take it in his stride. Amla has been in fine form and hit 140 in the first Test.
“Ofcourse, it’s a big Test for Hashim, but he’ll take it in his stride. His biggest strength is that he’s very composed, disciplined and calm, so I expect him to approach the match in the same way as he always does. He’s had a great year and we all hope that he can finish it in a great way.
“It’s nice to see how he’s grown as a player and he’s now one of the better players in the world, which is fantastic for us.”
Jacques Kallis also showered praise on Amla saying that it was a pleasure to play with him. Kallis and Amla have shared 10 century partnerships, two of those better than 300, another three of over 200 - the last came against India in Centurion last week.
“He’s a very calming influence on all the players,” Kallis said.
Amla has a poor record in Durban, where he has played five Tests. His highest is just 69 against West Indies in 2008. Against his country of origin, he will have the chance to improve it.
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- Kallis is South African Cricketer of the Year - Jun 08, 2011
- India hands landslide innings win to South Africa in Centurion Test - Dec 20, 2010
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- Tendulkar rises to fourth in Test rankings, Siddle in top 10 - Dec 30, 2011
- India suffer sixth straight loss to Proteas (Statistical Highlights) - Jan 13, 2011
- Zaheer, Harbhajan fightback; batsmen squander advantage in Durban - Dec 27, 2010
- South Africa need another 233 runs to win (Tea Report) - Dec 28, 2010
- Unbeaten centuries from Kallis and Amla agonise India (Roundup) - Dec 18, 2010
- South Africa put India to bat at Durban - Dec 26, 2010
- South Africa need 192 runs, India 7 wickets at Durban (Roundup) - Dec 28, 2010
- Proteas ready for India's Durban backlash - Dec 25, 2010
Tags: appearance, boxing day, boxing day test, boxing day test match, centurion, country of origin, dec 24, first test, graeme smith, India, indian origin, indians, milestone, partnerships, photo exhibition, pleasure, south africa, special photo, west indies
