Will the real Amla please stand up
Perhaps the scariest thing you can say about Hashim Amla at the moment is that for the past 18 months, he’s become a JP Duminy. No one’s doubting his ability, but the runs aren’t coming consistently. In fact, much like Duminy, the Proteas’ bearded stalwart has learnt the pesky habit of only making a big score just before the critics question him.
Think of last year’s hundred in his 100th Test against Sri Lanka, when there were rumours of him contemplating retirement. Or two gritty fifties against England at Nottingham and a last gasp 83 in Manchester. Or the 137 and 132 in the candy floss of a series against Bangladesh. In between those scores, Amla has looked ragged. And the stats back it up.
The 34-year-old veteran has played in 19 Tests since August 2016. In those 33 innings, his average is 38.50 – substantially lower than his career average of 49.08.
Take away those hundreds and he averages 29.60. Amla has only twice made two scores of 50 or more in succession in the last 18 months. The consistency is gone.
But while the stats do paint a part of the picture, it’s completed when the manner of some of his dismissals are considered. Amla’s two failures in the first Test against India at Newlands are merely the latest examples of a man not at ease with himself and his environment.
Against a swinging ball on the first morning, he prods at a ball that moves away. The worst is, despite the movement, he could’ve even left it on the original line.
In the second dig, Amla slashes at a wide one without any foot movement. This is no temporary hiccup.
He was so frazzled in Australia in 2016 that he weirdly reviewed his last dismissal of the tour, despite an obvious edge.
In New Zealand and England last year he was dismissed by a leg-side half-volley and long hop respectively.
And, as a late Christmas gift to Zimbabwe seamer Chris Mpofu, Amla slaps a pie wide of off-stump to cover without a hint of trying to place the shot.
This isn’t the Amla we know.