Tuesday, January 16, 2007

SA win streak 'down to hard work'

Captain Graeme Smith paid tribute to South Africa's resilience after their third Test victory in as many weeks.

They came from 1-0 down to beat India 2-1 before beating Pakistan by seven wickets at the start of a new series.

"They haven't been easy wins. We've had to work hard for them and played in conditions that have been a little foreign for us," Smith explained.

"We've played under pressure at key moments and, on different occasions, different guys have stood up."

The hosts began day five on 69-2, requiring another 130 for victory, and soon lost night-watchman Paul Harris.


"I couldn't have asked for a better guy to bat with than Jacques, who is so calm"

Hashim Amla


But despite some sharp turn for Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, and invariable bounce for the seamers, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis played confidently to steer them home.

Amla came into the game under a bit of pressure after several low scores against India but was named man of the match after hitting half centuries in each innings.

"It's quite easy when you have fantastic guys around you and I couldn't have asked for a better guy to bat with than Jacques, who is so calm and composed," he said.

"The wicket was deteriorating but we hung in there and came out on top."

Smith added: "It's about having different guys in your top six who can perform.

"Pakistan performed well and put us under pressure but the way we stood up and made it count was the key factor at the end of the day."

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