Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a fast rising star in the strong South African batting line-up. At 26 and having played 62 test matches he has established himself as an attacking batsman providing an intimidating look to a solid middle-order. As a reliable wicket-keeper and an outstanding fielder he offers more options to his skipper and adds flavor to the Proteas team.
At Abu Dhabi in the second test against Pakistan he played a magnificent innings of 278 not out. It was his second double century and highest personal score. It was also the highest score by any batsman on a neutral venue. Although he was aided by some umpiring favors and flatness of the pitch and the Pakistani bowling, the way he applied initially and then imposed himself on the Pakistan team was a testament to his talent as well as mental toughness.
He began cautiously as Tanvir had caused havoc on his debut reducing South Africa to 33 for 3 after being put in to bat. Soon he found his groove and started timing a few shots to the boundary. In Kallis he found an astute and reliable partner and they both started resurrecting the innings. He completed his fifty by glancing Abdur Rehman for four. On 60 and 65 he survived two close LBW appeals off the bowling of the same bowler. After sensing that luck was on his side he opened his arms a bit and started using his feet more freely. A few overs later he added to the frustration of Abdur Rehman by lofting him over long on for six. While others played Tanvir with some restraint he carved out several cover drives for four off his bowling. While in the nervous nineties he became more sedate as Pakistan put pressure and bowled a tight off-stump line. But Gul gave him a huge respite by gifting him four over throws and helping him on to 99. Next ball he took a single and brought up his 11th century and first against Pakistan.
Job, for him, was not finished here. Like any good batsman he took a new guard and started again as if a new innings. Meanwhile South Africa had lost half their team at 268. On a wicket as placid as this they needed a big first innings score and AB had to ensure that by playing sensibly with the lower order. Initially he played normally but later he opened up and hit three delightful boundaries off Tanvir. In the one-nineties he did not waste any time and reached his double hundred with two consecutive boundaries off Gul separated by a wide ball. Celebration this time was that of a man who had done the job assigned to him with distinction. He played well not only himself but took others along as well and put on decent partnerships of 73, 42 and 59 runs with Boucher, Botha and Steyn respectively taking his team to 477 for 9.
At this point playing with number eleven Morne Morkel he started to use the long handle. He showed his class as an all-round batsman by playing like the last overs of an ODI innings. He hit two towering sixes and collected 17 runs off an Abdur Rehman over. Although he was dropped again on 244 but it was too late for the opposition and he retaliated by hitting Hafeez for six the very next ball to go past 250. Morkel also played freely and they put on 107 off just 13 overs and four balls for the last wicket. AB was on course for a triple hundred as he was set at the crease like an immovable object and the bowlers deflated and out-classed. But his captain Graeme Smith decided to declare at 584 for 9 with AB on 278 not out to have a go at Pakistan openers in the wee hours.
Although many would argue that giving a few overs to AB would not have mattered as 25 overs were still left to play in the day but the Proteas we know always play to win. In the post match interview de Villiers reiterated that a win was all he wanted while playing for his team and he had no regrets for not being allowed to score triple century. It would have been a huge landmark as he would have been the first South African ever to score a triple. That being said this innings still would go in the record books as being one of the best for South Africa. AB de Villiers once said he wanted to be number one batsman in the world. Surely he has everything in him to achieve that one day.
At Abu Dhabi in the second test against Pakistan he played a magnificent innings of 278 not out. It was his second double century and highest personal score. It was also the highest score by any batsman on a neutral venue. Although he was aided by some umpiring favors and flatness of the pitch and the Pakistani bowling, the way he applied initially and then imposed himself on the Pakistan team was a testament to his talent as well as mental toughness.
He began cautiously as Tanvir had caused havoc on his debut reducing South Africa to 33 for 3 after being put in to bat. Soon he found his groove and started timing a few shots to the boundary. In Kallis he found an astute and reliable partner and they both started resurrecting the innings. He completed his fifty by glancing Abdur Rehman for four. On 60 and 65 he survived two close LBW appeals off the bowling of the same bowler. After sensing that luck was on his side he opened his arms a bit and started using his feet more freely. A few overs later he added to the frustration of Abdur Rehman by lofting him over long on for six. While others played Tanvir with some restraint he carved out several cover drives for four off his bowling. While in the nervous nineties he became more sedate as Pakistan put pressure and bowled a tight off-stump line. But Gul gave him a huge respite by gifting him four over throws and helping him on to 99. Next ball he took a single and brought up his 11th century and first against Pakistan.
Job, for him, was not finished here. Like any good batsman he took a new guard and started again as if a new innings. Meanwhile South Africa had lost half their team at 268. On a wicket as placid as this they needed a big first innings score and AB had to ensure that by playing sensibly with the lower order. Initially he played normally but later he opened up and hit three delightful boundaries off Tanvir. In the one-nineties he did not waste any time and reached his double hundred with two consecutive boundaries off Gul separated by a wide ball. Celebration this time was that of a man who had done the job assigned to him with distinction. He played well not only himself but took others along as well and put on decent partnerships of 73, 42 and 59 runs with Boucher, Botha and Steyn respectively taking his team to 477 for 9.
At this point playing with number eleven Morne Morkel he started to use the long handle. He showed his class as an all-round batsman by playing like the last overs of an ODI innings. He hit two towering sixes and collected 17 runs off an Abdur Rehman over. Although he was dropped again on 244 but it was too late for the opposition and he retaliated by hitting Hafeez for six the very next ball to go past 250. Morkel also played freely and they put on 107 off just 13 overs and four balls for the last wicket. AB was on course for a triple hundred as he was set at the crease like an immovable object and the bowlers deflated and out-classed. But his captain Graeme Smith decided to declare at 584 for 9 with AB on 278 not out to have a go at Pakistan openers in the wee hours.
Although many would argue that giving a few overs to AB would not have mattered as 25 overs were still left to play in the day but the Proteas we know always play to win. In the post match interview de Villiers reiterated that a win was all he wanted while playing for his team and he had no regrets for not being allowed to score triple century. It would have been a huge landmark as he would have been the first South African ever to score a triple. That being said this innings still would go in the record books as being one of the best for South Africa. AB de Villiers once said he wanted to be number one batsman in the world. Surely he has everything in him to achieve that one day.
Published in SportPulse...
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