3 reasons why AB de Villiers' Test record is underrated
AB de Villiers turns 39 today. He is one of the best batters in the modern era. He is arguably the most complete batter of all time in terms of ability and skill.
He retired from international cricket in May 2018 but continued to play in T20 leagues across the globe. He retired from all forms of cricket in November 2021.
AB de Villiers represented South Africa in 114 Tests, scoring 8765 runs at an average of 50.66 and a strike rate of 54.53. He scored 22 centuries and 46 half-centuries for his country in the red-ball format.
However, his test exploits are not spoken of that often in cricketing circles. Let's take a look at the three possible reasons for this.
#1 Overshadowed by other Test greats in his team
In watching him play, your jaw dropped, eyes protruded, and loud noises brought family members from other rooms to find out if you are okay when AB shuffled outside off stump, got on his knees and swept the steaming ball over the fine leg.
Happy Birthday, Favourite ❤️❤️ https://t.co/2W4KNDc7iQ
De Villiers made his Test debut in 2004 against England. He shared a dressing room with some of the biggest legends in South African cricket. He was an integral part of Graeme Smith's team, which won everywhere in the world except India.
He played with the likes of Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, and Hashim Amla for the majority of his Test career. Despite that, he is still the 4th highest run-getter of all time for the Rainbow Nation in Test cricket.
#2 Was not a top-order batter for most of his career
De Villiers was initially an opener with a lot of promise. However, he realized his true potential in the middle order. The turning point in his career was the Lord's Test in 2008, when he was out due to a soft dismissal.
Jacques Kallis said in an interview with Cricket Australia:
"There was a turning point in 2008 when he was dismissed softly against England in the Lord's Test match, chipping a catch to mid-on. Graeme Smith and Mickey Arthur spoke frankly – and without any soft edges. They said the time had come to deliver, to deliver on his talent."
Being a middle-order batter had its own challenges. De Villiers did not score huge runs as often as some of his peers. He was predominantly a number 5 and 6 batter, playing 124 of his 191 innings in those two positions.
It was one of the major reasons why he did not score as many centuries as the likes of the Fab 4 and his own teammates like Smith and Amla.
#3 Exceptional record in limited overs in cricket
Happy Birthday!
The matches against RCB were never over for any MI fan, until AB De Villiers was at the crease.
The guy has given some incredible performances against India too, but still remains a fan-favorite 🙌
Abraham Benjamin De Villiers, thank you for existing ♥️ Happy Birthday! https://t.co/L6NFetpVVC
De Villiers is arguably the greatest white-ball batter of all time. He has scored 9799 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 53.5 and a strike rate of 101.
He has an equally impressive T20 career as well, scoring 9424 runs at an average of 37.24 and a strike rate of 150.13. His records show that he was incredibly consistent and way faster than his peers—both at the same time.
A huge chunk of his fanbase is in India due to the Indian Premier League. He played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2011 to 2021 and featured in 2 finals.
He won several games for the franchise in impossible scenarios, most notably against the Gujarat Lions in the playoffs in 2016, where he scored 79* off just 47 balls to help RCB chase down 159 after being 29/5.