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Rabada: Amla is not a robot

Cape Town - You have to go back to August last year to find the last time Hashim Amla scored a Test match 50. 

That came in the second Test against New Zealand at Centurion and it means that he has now gone 10 knocks without a half century. 

Amla has also seen his average dip below 50 in that time.

He struggled immensely on the recent tour of Australia, where Josh Hazlewood dismissed him on all five occasions with a probing line just outside off stump and a length that had Amla's feet doing little.

It was safe to say that he was out of sorts on that tour.

In the current series against Sri Lanka, however, he has shown signs of his old self.

His 48 in the second innings in Port Elizabeth saw him manipulate the crease with confidence as he caressed balls to the boundary while his 29 in the first innings in Cape Town was also fluid. 

But, in both of those instances, he could not kick on.

Whether it be uncharacteristic lapses in concentration, technique issues or just plain tough luck, it simply isn't happening for Amla at the moment. 

His fifth ball duck in the second innings at Newlands on Wednesday was the latest frustrating development. 

But, according to Kagiso Rabada, there are no concerns in the Proteas dressing room. 

"He’s not a robot so he’s not going to play well all the time," Rabada said.

"Hashim is a great player and he knows what to do to get back to form.

"We’ve got other players who can step up although we do rely on him.

"He’s one of the key players in our team because of what he’s done in the past and his leadership, experience and the type of person that he is.

"You don’t do so well for so long by fluke, so he knows what to do to get back."

Amla is set to play his 100th Test match in the third Test against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg, starting on January 12. 

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