Amla insists the Proteas did their best despite record low total

It won’t be a popular opinion but Hashim Amla believes the Proteas batsmen did the best they could despite slumping to their lowest Test total ever in Sri Lanka.

South Africa collapsed to 126 all out on the second day of the first Test in Galle, allowing the hosts a lead of 161, which grew to 272 by the close of play.

It’s their lowest against Sri Lanka.

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The performance once again illustrated their longstanding weakness against top-quality spin bowling, recalling the nightmares experienced during the tour of India in 2015.

“The way that everybody played, I think they applied themselves as best as they can,” said Amla, striking a defiant tone.

“Batters from both teams found it difficult to bat, barring one or two batters.”

Yet that’s not the most frustrating thing about South Africa’s batting debacle.

Instead, Amla admitted that the Proteas had been expecting conditions to suit the spinners.

“When you play in South Africa, you get the balls that beat the bat from the seamers – the ball nips around. Here you get the ball that turns and bounces and gets the edge, and you miss as well,” he said.

“It’s always going to be home ground advantage. Sri Lanka has more quality spinners. That’s how it is.”

But if that is indeed the case, couldn’t the South Africans have coped just a little bit better?

With the prospect of them having to chase an improbable target looming large, Amla hopes him and his teammates turn to Sri Lankan opener Dimith Karunaratne for inspiration.

The left-hander has looked as if he’s playing on a different pitch, boasting scores of 158 not out and 60.

“Karunaratne batted exceptionally well, which basically got them to their score in the first innings,” said Amla.

“If a couple of us have a good partnership and one of us plays like Karunaratne played, that would get us close to the target.”

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