5 pairs of batsmen who have scored the most runs together in the fourth innings

#3 Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith - 890 runs

Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith relished the prospect of a fourth innings run-chase

Unlike their well-documented woes under pressure in the limited-overs formats, South Africa have always been known to lift their game to meet gruelling situations at Test level. Among the major reasons for their rise to the top of the Test rankings in 2012 was the versatility of their batting department. Skipper Graeme Smith and key-man Hashim Amla formed the fulcrum of the lineup to thwart opposition bowlers.

Smith and Amla were at their best in the fourth innings. From 15 innings together, they amassed 890 runs at an average of 63.57 including two century-plus partnerships and six fifty-plus stands. Their 153-run partnership for the second wicket in the 2008 Perth Test was instrumental in propelling South Africa to the second highest successful fourth-innings run-chase in the history of the game.