The first thing that strikes you about Hashim Amla is his composure. The bespectacled South African appears to live in a world where there's no room for worry. He goes about his job, be it on the field or off it, with a shy smile.
So, there's little in the amiable personality that shows how much pain he has caused to India recently. In the last three Tests against India, Amla has scored 630 runs, and has been dismissed only twice.
Asked how he reserved his best for India - the place from where his forefather migrated to South Africa - Amla broke into a childlike laughter. "I really don't know what to say. I'm grateful that I've had a good year so far and the year is not over yet," he said.
Even as he tried to relate his prolific showing against India to coincidence, Amla was quick to point out that South Africa had a great opportunity to finish off the series at Kingsmead. "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," he said.
What should give India hope is his wretched record on his home ground. In the five matches he has played here, Amla has scored just 122 runs. "I don't have a fantastic record here, so it would be nice to get some runs here," he said.
{{/usCountry}}What should give India hope is his wretched record on his home ground. In the five matches he has played here, Amla has scored just 122 runs. "I don't have a fantastic record here, so it would be nice to get some runs here," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Amla would be playing his 50th Test, but he refrained from attaching any importance to it. "Playing any Test at my home ground is special. Being the 50th doesn't make it more important," he said.
Even though South Africa are 1-0 up and the country is in the midst of the festive season, Amla ruled out the possibility of complacency. "The team has played a lot of cricket together and we've been through a lot of ups and downs. Very rarely has there been any complacency," he said.