As far as debuts as a Test captain go, few could have had one as good as Hashim Amla has enjoyed.
Amla, 31, won in his first series in charge of the Proteas 1-0 in Sri Lanka, which lifted South Africa back above Australia to be No 1 in the world in the Test rankings.
A strong start that leaves down as the only way for him to go as Test captain.
But Amla’s captaincy, two Tests in, was notable for the way he led by example with the bat.
His unbeaten 139 at Colombo in the first innings of the second Test helped set up his side’s successful rearguard action, that earned them the draw on Monday they needed to clinch their first series success in Sri Lanka in 21 years.
But it was, in a way, his dogged second innings knock of 25 that showed more about his character.
South Africa had to bat the last day and 98 overs to secure the draw, not an easy task on a pitch offering more and more turn for slow bowlers Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Ajantha Mendis, as well as low bounce.
Amla was batting hurt, with a reportedly tight hamstring, yet that did not detract from his focus. His side was not going to lose.
He faced 159 balls for his 25, lasting almost three hours, as he frustrated the Sri Lankans.
At one stage, he played out 57 balls without scoring. Utter tedium to the casual observer, but to those admiring a captain’s determination, an impressive display of concentration.
Amla is one of cricket’s finest stroke players, his 22 Test hundreds often full of exquisite shots.
He is an artist, but at Galle he was not afraid to get gritty.
He faced 541 balls in the match, and spent 656 minutes at the crease in his mission to help his side save a Test, which was their only goal after the home side had scored 421 in their first innings.
His heroics sent out a message to his team. An inspiring one.
He will lead from the front and he will prove it.
It was a good way to start as being a captain can often be a thankless task. If the team is bad and you lose, you are still responsible.
If players fail to perform, some of it is down to you, as leader, for not getting the best out of them.
Amla only needs to look at England and Alastair Cook to see that. England are on their worst run in Tests for more than 20 years, batsmen are getting out cheaply, bowlers are bowling erratically, yet the flak is largely aimed at Cook.
Cook’s tactics in the field have left a lot to be desired, but until Sunday when he hit 95 in the third Test against India, the England captain had not been contributing with the bat. His poor performances only increased the pressure on him as a leader, despite the fact that few in the England team could be proud of how they played in the first two Tests against India.
Teams sometimes need that moment of inspiration from a leader. MS Dhoni has given India some big moments, most notably putting himself up the order in the 2011 World Cup final, while Sri Lanka’s win in England was largely down to Angelo Mathews’s 160.
A captain can be forgiven more easily for his team’s failings if he is contributing well.
Michael Atherton was England captain between 1993 and 1998, and won just three of the 12 series in which he led his country.
Yet he is still fondly regarded in England, mainly because it is acknowledged he had a poor side in that period.
His record as a batsman while leading the team also holds him in good stead as he batted well, most notably saving the second Test against South Africa in 1995 with a 10-hour vigil at the crease for an unbeaten 185.
Amla has inherited a good Proteas side but one in transformation, with his predecessor, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis having both recently retired, leaving big holes to be filled.
In Dale Steyn he has arguably the most consistent pace bowler in the world, the 13 wickets he took in Sri Lanka, on tracks that traditionally lack pace, was fantastic.
Amla has got off on the right foot. He used his bowlers well and winning in Sri Lanka is a notable feather in his cap.
Harder challenges are ahead and Amla will need to lead from the front again when he takes the Proteas to Australia in November for a one-day international series to face arguably the most innovative captain around in Michael Clarke, and the pace of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris.
But until then it is a case of so far so good for Amla.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
Company%20Profile
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RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
The%20specs
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
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The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%207%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%93%203hrs%2029min%2042ses%3Cbr%3E2.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%20%E2%80%93%2010sec%3Cbr%3E3.%20Geoffrey%20Bouchard%20(FRA)%20AG2R%20Citroen%20Team%20%E2%80%93%2042sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders%20%E2%80%93%2059se%3Cbr%3E3.%20Adam%20Yates%20(GBR)%20UAE%20Team%20Emirates%20%E2%80%9360sec%3Cbr%3ERed%20Jersey%20(General%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EGreen%20Jersey%20(Points%20Classification)%3A%20Tim%20Merlier%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EWhite%20Jersey%20(Young%20Rider%20Classification)%3A%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%3Cbr%3EBlack%20Jersey%20(Intermediate%20Sprint%20Classification)%3A%20Edward%20Planckaert%20(FRA)%20Alpecin-Deceuninck%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What%20is%20cystic%20fibrosis%3F
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECystic%20fibrosis%20is%20a%20genetic%20disorder%20that%20affects%20the%20lungs%2C%20pancreas%20and%20other%20organs.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIt%20causes%20the%20production%20of%20thick%2C%20sticky%20mucus%20that%20can%20clog%20the%20airways%20and%20lead%20to%20severe%20respiratory%20and%20digestive%20problems.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPatients%20with%20the%20condition%20are%20prone%20to%20lung%20infections%20and%20often%20suffer%20from%20chronic%20coughing%2C%20wheezing%20and%20shortness%20of%20breath.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ELife%20expectancy%20for%20sufferers%20of%20cystic%20fibrosis%20is%20now%20around%2050%20years.%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5