South African batsman AB de Villiers is dejected after witnessing the wickets falling like a pack of cards. In the first Test of the four-match Test series, Australia has tightened the grip over hosts at Kingsmead in Durban.
“It’s not all lost. Some guys looked really good out there and we just didn’t convert. We just didn’t cross that line today. If you cross that line with two batters out there, things change very quickly. We came up just short,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The only highlight for the Proteas has been experienced campaigner de Villiers, who returned after the finger injury.
The flamboyant batsman de Villiers picked the finger injury during the three-match Test series against India. It subsequently saw him missing out most matches of the limited-overs series against India.
Moreover, rallying around the playing XI of the Proteas, de Villiers maintained the game plan has a lot on offer. He added hosts must adhere to spend quality time in the middle to take off the pressure. Adding the wicket won’t be easy either to bat on.
“The wicket is getting harder by the day and it won’t be easy for them to bat out there tomorrow. It’s up to us to make sure we have the right game plans in place. We are not out of it,” de Villiers said during the press conference.
Earlier, the Proteas wrapped Australia’s innings on 351 in 110.4 overs. Micthell Marsh was the top-scorer with 96 off 173 balls. He smashed 13 fours and a six.
In response to the good bowling attack, the Proteas faltered and lost wickets at regular intervals. The hosts were strangulated at 162 in 51.4 overs at stumps on the day two.
Except de Villiers’ unbeaten 71 off 127 balls, there on no one who could hang around to take down the lead.
“I just felt really good leading up to this Test in the nets, did some really good things in the nets, and I felt confident going into the Test. You don’t always feel that way in Test cricket. And I was very motivated to score some runs for the boys,” de Villiers added.
De Villiers in his patient knock smashed 11 fours to keep the scoreboard ticking when wickets were tumbling at the other end.
Opening batsman Aiden Markram, however, showed some resistance at the top. However, he scored 59-ball 32, as the innings comprised off six boundaries.
Moreover, ace off-spinner Nathan Lyon bowled out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock on 20 off 33 balls.
The speedster Mitchell Starc broke the back of South African batting line up. He sealed his figures with five for 34 in 10.4 overs. Lyon on the other end claimed three scalps for 50 in 16 overs.
“[Mitchell] Starc was swinging the ball one way and I felt I had him covered. He bowled a couple of good deliveries and there’s not much you can do about that,” de Villiers said of Starc.
However, de Villiers have also heaped praises on Australian bowlers for keeping things under control while adding the hosts could turn the tide.
“Australia had a really good intensity about them and they seemed to be clear with their plans. We could feel that they seemed to know what they were doing,” de Villiers asserts.
While observing the ordinary dismissals, de Villiers maintained the visitors bowled very well. Pertinently, Australian is having an imperious record in the Rainbow Nation.
“There were a couple of softies (dismissals) today but also some really good bowling,” AB de Villiers stated.
With Proteas having the first innings deficit of 189 runs, the hosts’ bowlers would want to pick wickets early on to put pressure back on the Kangaroos.
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