AB de Villiers hit South Africa’s highest Test score of 278 not out to put his team in a dominant position against Pakistan on the second day of the second and final Test at the Abu Dhabi Stadium.
The 26-year-old from Pretoria smashed 23 boundaries and six sixes during his 618-minute stay at the crease to guide South Africa, surprisingly put into bat, to 584 for nine declared before restricting Pakistan to 59 for one at close.
Pakistan - needing another 326 to avoid the follow-on - lost opener Mohammad Hafeez, leg-before to fast-bowler Dale Steyn for two in the first over of the innings but recovered with Taufeeq Umar 16 not out and Azhar Ali unbeaten on 34 when bad light stopped play seven overs before time.
Star of the show
The second day belonged to de Villiers who punished the bowlers throughout his 418-ball knock, beating the highest Test score by a South African batsman held by captain Graeme Smith with 277, made against England at Birmingham in 2003.
De Villiers reached the milestone in the second over after tea, smashing Mohammad Hafeez for his sixth six before taking a single off Umar Gul to better the record, raising his bat towards Smith, who declared the innings.
He added a South African record of 107 for the last wicket with Morne Morkel, who remained unbeaten on 35, erasing the 81-year old record of 103 set by Tuppy Smith and Sandy Bell against England at Leeds.
Morkel joins the fun
Morkel too feasted on a tiring Pakistan attack, hitting five boundaries, including 17 off one over from debutant paceman Tanveer Ahmed, who finished with six for 120, the tenth time a Pakistani bowler has taken five wickets on Test debut.
Earlier, resuming at his overnight score of 120, de Villiers added 73 for the sixth wicket with Mark Boucher (45), 42 with Johan Botha (12) for the seventh and another 59 for the eighth with Steyn, who made 27. He hit Gul for his 14th boundary to complete his second double hundred off 369 balls, eventually improving on his previous best of 217 not out he made against India at Ahmedabad in April 2008.
Ahmed had earlier reached his own landmark when he bowled Boucher with a sharp incoming delivery. Boucher hit six boundaries during his 90-ball innings. But de Villiers continued in the same vein, hitting Ahmed for three boundaries in an over, to keep South Africa on track for the big total that has given South Africa the edge in the final Test of the series.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2010.
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