Hashim Amla is enjoying his partnerships with Quinton de Kock and is backing Aiden Markram to score big runs soon.

‘You can’t compare the attacks,’ Hashim Amla said in Kandy on Saturday ahead of the third ODI. ‘We have a good bowling attack in terms of pace and guys who can utilise the first 10 overs, especially if the wicket doesn’t turn. We have Shamsi who has done wonders and JP (Duminy) as well as our spinners. Both attacks are good, we have managed to make inroads upfront which has helped us to keep the scores a bit low.

‘Quinny and I have opened together for quite a few years,’ Amla said. ‘We have a good relationship on and off the field. We take things with a smile on our face, we want to enjoy our batting as best as we can.

‘When we got to our 50 partnership in the second game it felt like we hadn’t batted together in a long time, so we really appreciated that. Quinny is chilled, I try to encourage us to play our games and to be as positive as we can with a smile on our faces.

‘Aiden is a wonderful player. He got two low scores but that could happen to anybody – it has happened to me throughout my career. He is a brilliant player – he will come right. I don’t know what the team for tomorrow is like, but Aiden is someone who trains exceptionally hard and is determined in his batting. I have no doubt that in time he will come good,’ Amla concluded.

Photo: Cricket South Africa