It was heartbreaking to watch Jacques Kallis miss out on a double ton on Sunday, but as the Proteas legend fell short, Hashim Amla pushed on. The understated, and perhaps under-appreciated, number three went to his maiden Test double with the coolness and effortless calm that has come epitomize the man.

His calm demeanor and modest approach is arguably the reason Amla is seldom spoken of in the same breath as the likes of AB de Villiers and JP Duminy. While De Villiers and Duminy endorse everything from chicken to crisps, Amla goes about his business modestly, while building a healthy average and a ton of runs to his name.

When Amla made his Test debut, the critics were quick to jump on his supposedly poor technique, claiming unless it was changed he would never make the grade. Amla's first foray into international cricket was short-lived, but after scoring a glut of runs on the domestic scene, he was given another chance and he has never looked back.

In his 42 Test matches to date, Amla has scored eight centuries and 16 half-centuries at an average of 44.47. There was a time South African fans believed that nobody could fill the number three spot that Kallis once called his own, but Amla has put those fears to bed.

The Durban-born Amla has struggled to convert starts into big scores of late, but his knock in Nagpur must be seen as a sign of things to come. He certainly has the temperament for the big knocks ? he was as placid on 200 as he was on zero. There was no wild whooping, nor were there any leaps of joy. There was a pump of the fist and an almost shy smile?

Ironically, the lack of plaudits that come his way may just what keeps him so steady. He always needs to prove he is good enough to hold down his spot. While De Villiers and Duminy are media darlings, and their failures are not viewed too harshly, you get the feeling Amla is viewed under a more guarded eye.

It undoubtedly keeps the deeply-religious batsman grounded, although I very much doubt he would change his approach if he was to be showered in the type of praise he so richly deserves. His modesty is not a guise; it is as natural as his talent as a cricketer.

Listening to the Indian commentators over the weekend, it is clear that the Proteas number three did not arrive in Asia with a reputation ? his unbeaten 253 on Sunday will certainly change that.

Graeme Smith, Kallis, De Villiers and Duminy may be the subject of gushing prose in the media, but it is Amla who is proving to be the Proteas unsung hero.