March 10: South African opener Hashim Amla said the pressure would firmly be on India, when the two teams meet in the marquee clash to be held at the VCA stadium, here on Saturday.
“I think the pressure will be more on India as there will be expectations. We have played in front of a big crowd before. Fortunately, it will not be a major problem,” Amla said after the practice session here on Thursday.
South Africa beat India 3-2 in a keenly-contested home one-day series before the World Cup, but Amla said his team needed to be at their best as the conditions would be entirely different.
“Of course, India have a very good team. We played them in South Africa and know what to expect. On this wicket, it will be a good challenge for both our batsmen and bowlers. These are their home conditions, but at the same time we all know It is also a pressure situation. There will be a lot of expectations,” he added.
Amla, considered more of a Test player than a one-day batsman early in his career, said keeping things simple was the key to his success in the shorter form of the game. “I haven’t changed much. I always try to adapt and improve. I try to keep things simple,” said Amla, who is at number one spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
He backed team-mate Jacques Kallis to shine despite a poor run by the all-rounder.