The art of not scoring runs: 5 instances when batsmen became unlikely 'stonewallers'

Hashim Amla

Amla's defensive batting against the Indian spinners in Delhi

Opposition: India

Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi

Season: 2015-16

Twin centuries from Ajinkya Rahane left the South Africans with an uphill task of scoring 481 in the fourth innings to win the Delhi Test, on a pitch that was helping the Indian spinners. They had to bat out five sessions if they were to save the match.

Ishant Sharma and Ravi Ashwin opened the bowling for India and in the last ball of the fourth over, Dean Elgar was dismissed.

Enter Hashim Amla.

Ishant, Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav all were brought into the attack in that post-lunch session but none of them could breach through Amla's defence.

He defended soundly but, rather ironically, the first false stroke brought him a couple of runs off an inside edge, after he had faced 45 balls.

He scored his sixth run of the session after facing 75 balls. Subsequently, he once again went into shut down mode for the rest of the session. He faced another 38 balls in that session without adding any more runs to his score.

39 overs were bowled in that particular session of play. Amla was there for 35 of them. He scored 6 off 113 balls.

He eventually scored 25 off 243 balls before being dismissed by Jadeja. South Africa scored 143 off 143.1 overs but lost the match.