Will rely on our traditional ‘seam’ strength: Amla

India might be banking heavily on rank turners to upstage South Africa in the upcoming Test series but visiting team skipper Hashim Amla on Wednesday said they will be relying on their seam bowling strength to outwit the hosts in the four-match rubber.

Having pocketed the T20 and the ODI series, the Proteas look for a treble when they begin the first cricket Test here on Thursday and Amla believes the team’s bowling department are well equipped to handle any situation and track.

“South Africa’s history has been that we have been very good with our seam bowlers wherever in the world we have been. When you have got the quality of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and up and coming KG (Kagiso Rabada), we have been blessed and fortunate to be in a situation that our seam bowlers have done well in the sub-continent and that can be an attacking option. Not many countries can boast of that,” Amla told reporters on the eve of the first Test.

“If you are faced with a raging turner and when JP (Jean-Paul Duminy) plays, it adds the spin option for us.

Obviously with him not being in the team for the first Test it adds a bit more dynamic to the team. I don’t think we have to look too far ahead. As I said traditionally in the last 15 years our strength has been the seamers. I believe in the old West Indian saying of ‘If it ain’t broke so don’t fix it.’

“So if seamers do the job for you in the sub-continent or anywhere else in the world so be it. Out spinners over the years have developed mentally and technically to deal with situations of attacking and defending at various times. I think in conditions when wickets turn, spinners have multiple roles. Sometimes when it doesn’t turn they fall into a defensive role and when it does turn naturally they turn into an attacking role. Largely depends on what surface we are playing on,” he added.