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Amla brought up his double hundred, the highest score by a South African captain on home soil -AFP
ESPNCricinfo: Carrying an extra load can make some tough and others tired but few would have guessed it would turn Hashim Amla aggressive. Since taking over the leadership role, Amla has made what could be considered a brave declaration in Galle, scored a bullish century in Colombo and now, batted West Indies out of the match midway through the second day with the first double-hundred by a South Africa captain on home turf.
Amla’s innings had the all usual makings of the artistry he has become known for; the wristy clips, elegant drives and even singles ambled like a Sunday afternoon stroll, but this time they had increased intent as their tail-wind. He was looking for runs, even when West Indies were not overpitching or offering width, even when debutant Stiaan van Zyl was new to the crease and battling his nerves and especially as the clouds closed in on Centurion.
“We knew there was a bit of rain around so we wanted to get runs as quickly as possible,” Amla said. “We felt we wanted to get at least 35 or 36 overs at the West Indians today. Rather declare too early than too late because as the light deteriorates, you can’t bowl your seamers ... but as it happened we didn’t get any overs in.”
Although always a team man, Amla’s thinking has now shifted to the strategic and he was more concerned with posting enough runs to bat once than how many were added to his own tally. He has already indicated that, unlike tactics of the past, when South Africa were reluctant to enforce follow-ons because they wanted to be absolutely sure they had made an opposition victory impossible, he could lean that way in this match.
“We tried to score quickly enough to give ourselves as much chance as possible to bowl as much as we can. Now we will just wait and see how much time we get. For us, it has been a lovely two days and we have three days to try and get 20 wickets. The way the game is positioned at the moment, we’ve done our bit.”
A lot of that “bit” was Amla’s own doing, as he reached milestones including the highest individual innings at SuperSport Park, a feat baptised by one of the warmest crowd receptions heard at the venue. As Amla neared his double-hundred, the noise levels rose and created a bowl of sound around the Centurion grandstand. The clapping bounced off the concrete and the cheering formed a chorus.
When the tuck through midwicket brought two runs, they could have shattered eardrums with their celebration. Neither Graeme Smith, who had long been the Test captain, nor Jacques Kallis, whose first double-hundred was hit here, has received that kind of reception. In typically bashful fashion, Amla accepted the appreciation with raises of the bat as he reached 200, 18 minutes later when he was dismissed and at the end of play when he addressed the media.
“I’m really happy to have got some runs under my belt. I didn’t think of it any further than it being another innings for me in Test cricket,” he said, although he admitted he was aware of each record he broke. “It comes up on the scoreboard so you can’t really miss it but I firmly believe records are always going to be broken. You can’t have any sentimental value. I am really grateful for any feathers in the cap but some other time it will be somebody else.”
What will not fade, though, is the legacy of the team Amla leads and he is acutely aware of trying to build on that as much as possible. That’s why he wants to push for victories in a way that announces them as a team who play to their potential as often as possible.
Amla’s first focus in the two series he has been in charge has been about forcing South Africa to not be slow-starters, something they had gained a reputation for doing. “There has been awareness about it. In Sri Lanka we started really well and we started well here yesterday so maybe its an improvement. Sometimes the more emphasis you place on something, the worse it gets but we were in a bit of trouble yesterday and we found a way. We want to keep throwing the first punch.”
If rain stays away, Amla thinks they could end up delivering the final few blows as well. With three days left in the Test and the West Indies batting considered their weaker suit, South Africa are eyeing a big win. “We’ve got four seam bowlers and an attack who I consider the best in the world so if we can make some inroads early doors, we can set the game up.”
