Amla: ODI series win gave us confience
South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla hopes the side's first ODI series win in Sri Lanka will prove fortuitous in the next two weeks, as he prepares to skipper the Proteas in his first Test series as leader.
South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla hopes the side's first ODI series win in Sri Lanka will prove fortuitous in the next two weeks, as he prepares to skipper the Proteas in his first Test series as leader.
Amla took over from the retired Graeme Smith, who was in the job for more than a decade, and is confident the one-day wins will give his players the confidence to win the Tests too. They last won a Test in Sri Lanka in 2000.
The skipper said on Tuesday, ahead of the Galle match: "The one-dayers have given the team a lot of confidence and a lot of belief that we can win here even though Test cricket is a largely different game.
"We take confidence from the ODI win. The wickets were pretty good to bat on and they it got slower as the day progressed. That's no different to Test cricket.
"After a series like that you need a bit of down time. Although it was only three or four days, that was a good call from the management (to give the players a break). We had a training session yesterday and today to slowly get the boys back in."
Amla went on to discuss the team's make up, in the wake of AB de Villiers being ruled unfit to keep but good to go with the bat. As a result, Quinton de Kock will keep wicket for the first time in Tests, and bat at seven.
As such, there will be no place for either Stiaan van Zyl or spinner Dane Piedt, with Amla, and previously coach Russell Domingo, ruling out the chance of a third spinner. JP Duminy is seen as Imran Tahir's spin partner.
Amla added: "With Quinny playing, it changes the dynamic of the team. We will probably have one spinner and then JP – luckily he played a pretty significant part in the one-day series as well.
"If need be, we will use Dean Elgar (to bowl) as well. He's had a bit of a golden arm. But it would be great if we don't need him."
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