AB de Villiers is a sublime talent with one driving motivation — beat Australia

ONE of the most genius players in the history of the game, AB de Villiers, walked away from Test cricket and only came back for one thing — to beat Australia.

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA — MARCH 11: AB de Villiers of South Africa celebrates scoring 100 runs during day 3 of the 2nd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at St Georges Park on March 11, 2018 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

AB de Villiers walked away from Test cricket and only came back for one last shot at Australia.

One of the most genius players in the history of the game has been obsessed about this series.

It — along with next year’s World Cup — has been his motivation to come back from two years out of the Test scene and there’s every chance it will also be his once-and-for-all farewell from the five-day game.

De Villiers is so far manufacturing it into his crowning personal achievement.

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AB de Villiers of South Africa celebrates reaching his century.

Last night the Proteas master flattened Australia with one of the truly exceptional Test innings, an unbeaten 126 that the South African batting greats Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards would have been proud to claim as their own.

De Villiers might not have the numbers to take a seat next to the game’s immortals.

He has 22 hundreds from 112 Tests, while Steve Smith already has 23 from just 62 matches.

But on pure skill and God-given talent there have been few better than the sporting phenomenon who could have excelled at rugby, tennis or almost anything he put his mind to.

Six hundreds and an average of 50 when playing Australia, is perhaps de Villiers’ proudest achievement.

The century — three years on from the last time he brought up triple figures — ranks as one of his proudest moments.

When AB de Villiers gets going, it's tough for the opposition captain to set field. #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/bbxvENMoHK

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) March 11, 2018

Most Test centuries v Australia in last 10 years:

6 AB de Villiers (28 inns)
6 Virat Kohli (27 inns)#SAvAus

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 11, 2018

A memory which he will savour even more if South Africa can capitalise Monday and wrap up the Test with Australia only 41 runs ahead with five wickets in hand.

“It was 10 out of 10. It was right up there with the best feeling ever,” said de Villiers.

“I was so relieved, I was very nervous in the 90s — I don’t think it showed but I was telling Vern (Philander) out there that I was struggling to breathe and my legs literally went numb. It’s funny when a guy who has played for 13 or 14 years says that, but it’s true.

“It meant a lot to me today.”

De Villiers admits he puts a huge personal price on beating Australia, and declared he was always going to return from his sabbatical to take that one last shot at revenge.

“I’m honestly always fired up when I play against Australia,” he said.

“I’ve said it before, growing up it’s always the team we wanted to beat as South Africans.

“I’m always very motivated playing against these guys.

“I’ve never lost my love for the game, I was just tired of playing. I was just flat, physically, mentally and quite a few other factors.

“There was just a lot that was going on in my life (including fatherhood) and I felt like I needed to breathe a little bit. I wouldn’t say I lost the love for the game, I think that showed today. I just love playing.”

AB de Villiers is yet to be dismissed by a bowler in the series.

De Villiers gave Australia a full exhibition of his wares on day three of the second Test as he smashed a magnificent century to hand South Africa a commanding 139-run first-innings lead.

At the midway point of the second Test and de Villiers is still yet to be out from the hands of an Australian bowler in this series.

His scintillating display left Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood virtually waving the white flag last night as they tried everything in their power — not to get him out — but to simply stop him scoring and holding on to the strike.

South Africa finally finished with 382 and de Villiers has a sublime 126 not out to go with his unbeaten 71 in Durban.

The only time he’s been dismissed was when his partner ran him out for a duck in the second dig in Durban.

De Villiers took two years out of Test cricket and didn’t even tour Australia the last time South Africa were in town, but the 33-year-old has lost none of his magic.

Resuming day three 20 runs in front with only three wickets in hand, de Villiers blew Australia off the park and piled on 142 runs with No. 9 Vernon Philander and No. 10 Keshav Maharaj.

Steve Smith had his field almost entirely back on the fence as the damage started getting truly out of hand, but still de Villiers was puncturing the field for boundaries — hammering 20 fours all up in his 146-ball knock.

There was one six for de Villiers and that came off Nathan Lyon to bring up his first Test hundred in three years.

De Villiers might not have the numbers of some of the game’s immortals, but ex players agree he has as much natural talent as almost anyone to have picked up a bat.

On a difficult pitch where Australia were reverse swinging the ball, de Villiers looked on a different level and was never troubled.

Starc and Hazlewood resorted to bowling well outside leg-stump to de Villiers in a desperate attempt to stop him scoring.

Originally published as AB de Villiers is a sublime talent with one driving motivation — beat Australia