We have to brush off India loss: Hashim Amla

Brisbane, Feb 25 (IANS) South Africa's opening batsman Hashim Amla Wednesday urged his teammates to “brush off” and not be “dramatic” about their dismal loss against India Sunday and to look forward to their upcoming games in the World Cup.

"We didn't manage to string enough big partnerships closely together and we lost wickets at key times. Things like that happen. We just want to brush it off, take the knock on our chin, and get our heads up for the next game," Amla was quoted as saying by espncricinfo.

"Everybody in the team has played enough to know that you do win and lose games. There can only be one winner and one loser. So, let's not get too dramatic about it," he said.

The 31-year-old, who has been in quite impressive form of late scoring two hundreds and three fifties in his last nine innings, added he has been striking the ball well but it is not everyday that a batsman can perform to his potential.

"I'd love to score runs every game but I don't think it's possible. It's been a slow start and hopefully it gets better. I'm feeling good. Everybody goes through a few games in which they don't score runs," he said.

South Africa's 130-run loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Sunday was their worst in a World Cup, while batting second, but it is not likely to have a significant impact on whether they qualify for the knockout stages.

"You want to finish as high as possible. But if you qualify for the quarter-final, so be it. If you want to win a World Cup you're going to need to play the best teams to win it. There's no trying to avoid anybody," concluded Amla.