Putting mind over matter, the Amla way

Among the few things Hashim Amla has allowed outsiders to know about him is that he does not like talking too much. At least not in public. Answers most often begin with, "Let's see," which then leads the questioner down a corridor of uncertainty, unsure whether Amla enjoys the ambiguity or prefers to answer with action. It is likely a bit of both.

Amla is a complex character who does not come across the way a typical sportsperson does. Fire and fury do not form part of his on-field persona, the fervour is kept as hidden as the frustration, but they are both there. On this tour, that has perhaps been the case more than ever before.

This is the most important Test series of Amla's career. Simple as that. It will be the sternest examination of his short captaincy career and comes at a time when his own form is under scrutiny, which doubles the challenge that lies ahead. Which one should demand more of his attention - the lack of runs or leadership? He answered with his actions.

Minutes after the warm-up match between the Indian Board President's XI and the South Africans finished at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, Amla was back at the nets. He had only spent 18 minutes at the crease in the game, faced 12 balls and scored one run; he spent at least double that amount of time receiving throw-downs in a bid to return to his run-scoring ways.

In seven innings on this India tour so far, Amla averages 17.85, but his lean run has extended well beyond that. Since his century against Ireland at the World Cup in March, Amla has played 15 ODI innings with only one score over 50 - a century against New Zealand in August. He averages 26.13 and has been out eight times under 20. In the same period, he has played four T20Is and had one Test innings, with a top score of 48.

Exactly what he is struggling with is unclear, but footwork could be a small part of it. Amla has been stumped twice on this tour. It may not sound like much, but only until it is seen in context - he has only been stumped three times in his 123-innings ODI career. Among other things, his attention to detail in practising the sweep shot in the post-game net seemed to suggest he was working hard on his batting.

The crease is not the only place Amla will be watching his step, though. From now on, every move he makes will be in the spotlight. He is the Test captain and the media and fan attention will reach fever pitch. The Indian obsession with the game has now gone beyond pure partisanship. The IPL allowed them to warm up to players from elsewhere and in some cases, take ownership of them, like they have done with AB de Villiers. The "A-B-D" chants are the new "Sachiiiiiin, Sachiiiiiiiin." They have not composed a song for Amla, but they do not have to because their bond with him runs even deeper.

Supporters around the world anyway recognise Amla as the good guy of world cricket, one who is loved for his humility. But it is exactly that demeanor which will define how Amla emerges from this tour. It remains to be seen whether his quiet nature is overpowered by the noise or if he can silence the sounds. At the moment, we only know how different he is from his opposite numbers.

The Indian leader is created by his ability to be the authority. MS Dhoni was a military-man; Virat Kohli is movie-star material. Amla is neither. The only thing we have been able to gauge about Amla as captain thus far is that he leads with a quiet but cut-throat competitiveness.

Graeme Smith, the former South Africa captain, who was in India to commentate on the limited-overs series, elaborated on it when he explained Amla's deep desire to do well. Unlike Smith, whose determination dripped out of every pore, Amla's ambition is kept in the same place as the answers to the questions people ask of him: somewhere we do not know about, but it is there. Amla's approach to winning shows in the creativity he employs with his captaincy. He is not scared to try things - like declaring with a carrot to dangle in front of Sri Lanka in his first match in charge in Galle - and reads the game as though it was a textbook.

Amla has been particularly astute in managing his bowlers, bringing them back for key spells at key times, and ensuring they work in pairs. On this tour, his management of spinners will be crucial, especially if one of those spinners is Imran Tahir.

The legspinner is primed for a comeback, but there are skeptics and their reasoning is sound. Although Tahir has excelled in limited-overs cricket, he has been disappointing at Test level. He needs to translate the control he keeps in ODIs and T20Is to Tests, and may only be able to do that if there is a captain to remind him. Tahir's variations need to be reined in, his consistency maintained and he needs to be used cleverly. If Amla can get those right on spinner-friendly tracks, he could be halfway to making history in India.

The other half will come from how he manages his youngsters. Although South Africa's core is experienced thanks to the presence of de Villiers, du Plessis, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, they have a youthful outer layer which could leave them vulnerable.

Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl are new to the opening role and have to understand and act on the importance of the solid start. Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt only have a few Tests to their names and cannot be left as targets for the Indian line-up if they play. If JP Duminy is ruled out, Temba Bavuma may have to play and if Morne Morkel is unavailable, Kagiso Rabada could be handed a Test debut. That would mean almost half the team could have less than 30 Tests between them. They will all need Amla's experience to rub off.

In India, experience is the one thing Amla does not lack for. He has been on three Test tours to India over the last 11 years and his record in the country is eye-popping. In six Tests, he has scored 823 runs including three centuries and one double-hundred, and averages 102.87. Can he draw on that to turn things around for himself and to inspire his team in this series? As the man himself would say, "Let's see."