Amla: true Test warrior

LOVERS of symmetry in life and of round numbers would have been anticipating a century from Hashim Amla in his 100th Test match at the Wanderers this week. But sport is rarely about that kind of order. In fact, it is often the unpredictability of sporting contests that attracts watchers.

So, perhaps the realists among us would not have been too optimistic about Amla’s chances of celebrating becoming the eighth South African to reach his hundredth Test, with a big score.

He looked ill at ease in tricky conditions in the early stages of his innings, and he benefited from being dropped on five late in the first session of the match yesterday.

But maybe that let-off forced Amla to knuckle down, and fight his way through the hard moments.

It is this battle against the opposition, against self-doubt and perhaps a dip in form, against the elements… which goes to make up some of the meaning of the term “Test” in cricket.

AT THE other end for most of Amla’s innings was JP Duminy, who, in the early part of the day stroked the ball around serenely, in contrast to the hesitant Amla. The ability to deal with this disparity is also part of the test faced by a batsman. Ebb and flow between teammates, and between opposition teams, is all part of the fluctuating fortunes in five-day cricket.

Then, early in the third session, with Duminy already having attained his sixth Test century, Amla took on the dominant role.

He took 60 balls to score his first 20 runs, but his next 80 runs used up only 100 more deliveries.

Amla ended the day undefeated on 125, and true to his personality, declared that the greatest joy for him was to contribute to the team’s cause.

The watching public, though, know that in witnessing only the eighth player to score a century in his 100th Test – the others are former SA captain Graeme Smith, Colin Cowdrey, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge, Alec Stewart, Inzamam ul-Haq and Ricky Ponting – they have seen a true Test warrior at his best.