Opening batsman Hashim Amla said on Friday the Proteas would not take the second one-day international lightly after they thrashed Sri Lanka by 258 runs in the opening game of the five-match series.
“If we were in the same position, we would be quite motivated to put in a better performance,” Amla said.
Amla is expected to open the batting for the hosts in the second ODI in East London on Saturday.
His wife Summayya, though, is pregnant with their first child, which is due any time now, so the Proteas’ vice-captain could leave the squad at a moment’s notice.
“Taking their motivation into account, we know the Sri Lankans will come back firing as they did in the second Test,” Amla said.
“They’re a proud team with a lot of heritage, so we’re not going to take them lightly.”
Taking things simply
Amla was forced to captain the ODI team against Australia in October after newly-appointed skipper AB de Villiers picked up a hand injury.
Returning to his role as deputy, he scored a century in the first ODI in Paarl and said he was a lot more comfortable and had less to worry about.
“I have less on my plate but I just try to take things simply,” he said.
“When you get a partnership going, it’s always easier to score and Jacques [Kallis] and I complemented each other at the time … The wicket was difficult up front and I was blocking while he was scoring at the other end, so it worked out quite well … When you go into those situations, there is more emphasis on the partnership than on personal runs, but as the partnership progressed, I found my feet a bit and started scoring a lot more freely.”
The pair compiled a 144-run stand for the second wicket before Amla and De Villiers shared a 91-run partnership off 75 balls.
“Jacques and I were set, so we felt it was a good period to take the power play,” Amla said.
“It forced some guys to bowl earlier than they had expected and we felt we could capitalise while the wicket got slower and the ball got softer … It worked well, and even when Jacques got out, AB came in and played positively.”
Kallis was run out on 72 and it was the second time Amla had been involved in a run-out during the Sri Lankan tour.
“It bothers me more when I’m not the one run out but, as Jacques said, it is part of the game, so I just kept going after that … AB is such a phenomenal player and reads the situation very well … When he came in, we were still in the power play and he took the game to the opposition and managed to score freely [making 52 runs off 40 balls].”
Amla said it was vital for the younger players in the squad to gel with the team, adding that there was a positive mood in the camp after their convincing victory in Paarl.
“As long as the guys coming into the side feel comfortable, and have a good environment to showcase their skills, that’s what we’re hoping to develop in the team.” — Sapa