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In & Out: Big sticks and worrying slumps

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There’s an Indian proverb that goes: “Whoever owns the lathi [a huge cane/stick] eventually owns the buffalo.”

Given the way things have played out thus far in the five-match one-day international (ODI) series under way on the subcontinent between India and South Africa, this proverb couldn’t be more relevant.

In the four matches we have watched so far, the lathi has belonged to the sides batting first. And if the stats are anything to go by, fortune might favour the captain who opted to bat first this morning in the series decider at ­Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

But using statistics to predict the outcomes of sports games is disingenuous, borderline superstitious and downright inaccurate.

This inaccuracy is compounded by the fact that, at Wankhede Stadium, you’ll be better off bowling first if you have reliable swing bowlers on your side because of the stadium’s location at the mouth of Black Bay, which makes daytime bowling conditions favourable for pacemen.

So whether AB de Villiers had a ­dalliance with Lady Luck during the toss this morning, it seems the real ­deciding factor in the deciding match is how his batsmen will perform – as the scores and outcomes of the previous matches have indicated, his ­bowling unit, especially the likes of quicks Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and Morné Morkel, have more or less kept up their end of the bargain.

It’s not often that I compliment the ­Proteas’ bowling unit in such a sweeping fashion, but it’s also not often that I’m confronted with the harsh reality of having to admit that one of the most admired and boundlessly talented batsmen in the game is in a slump.

Since Hashim Amla’s ODI best of 159 against Ireland in the World Cup in March, and apart from his century against New Zealand in August, his performances have been disappointing.

In his four innings in this ODI series, Amla has managed to scrape together just 66 runs, averaging a paltry 16.5.

It’s worrying when a side’s anchor begins to lose its grip, but even more worrying is that this has come during an important tour of India and ahead of a big series against England.

But statistics show that Hash has not had a bad year. He’s just 20 runs shy of beating his best year in terms of ODI runs scored (1 058 in 2010); he’s still averaging above 50 for the year; and he has already scored four 100s since January.

Once again, herein lies the problem with relying on statistics. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been following the series against India and perhaps noticed a certain change in Amla’s body language. Not only has his batting been subpar, his fielding and cap­taincy, when required, have been somewhat dubious.

It’s almost as if the man’s head is no longer in the game.

This can only lead one to question if Amla, at 32, will bounce back from this unusual slump.

For the great Hash’s sake, and for the sake of his many adoring fans, one can only hope he manages to regain his strength and, once again, own the lathi.

@Longbottom_69  is an armchair cricket critic. The closest he’s come to a buffalo is the one on a R100 bill

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