Chinnaswamy Stadium Celebrates the Magic of AB de Villiers

The first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at the Chinnaswamy stadium had a carnival atmosphere. The fans roared with delight, every great shot was applauded generously and there was anticipation in the air, all this for a foreign batsman. Such is the magic of AB de Villiers, the superman of South African cricket and one of the modern day greats of the game currently. (SCORECARD)

 

The Chinnaswamy Stadium was all geared up for de Villiers' 100th Test, who became the seventh South African player to achieve this landmark. The crowd wanted to make the occasion special for their 'local' hero, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Before the toss, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) presented a special gift to de Villiers for his outstanding achievement. (Top 5 Knocks of AB de Villiers in Tests)

 

When Ravichandran Ashwin and Varun Aaron snapped up three quick wickets, the Chinnaswamy, which was already bustling, went into a state of delirium. The stadium reverberated with chants of "ABD, ABD, ABD" as he strode out to the middle. The electronic scorecard at the stadium flashed a congratulatory sign for his 100th Test. The stage was set for some de Villiers magic.

AB de Villiers fell short of a hundred in his 100th Test as South Africa crumbled against India.

© BCCI

AB de Villiers Floors the Chinnaswamy Stadium

 

He tackled spin and pace with ease. On a wicket where batsmen were struggling to get the ball off the square, de Villiers was producing a masterclass. When wickets were tumbling, he upped the ante and farmed the strike with the tail as much as possible. When he got to his fifty, the crowd erupted and de Villiers' mother and wife stood up and applauded. There was emotion and happiness. It looked like de Villiers would achieve something special on a grand occasion.

 

The love and adulation from the Bangalore fans for de Villiers was obvious. In the past couple of years, the South African batsman has dazzled the Chinnaswamy faithful with his brilliance in the IPL. In 76 games he has played for the franchise, he has smashed 1899 runs at a jaw-dropping strike-rate of 157 with 12 fifties and a century. His style of play in the IPL has made him a cult figure among fans, who flocked in thousands to see his all-round batting wizardry.

 

On 85, the fans were eagerly anticipating a special hundred. However, at the stroke of tea, Ravindra Jadeja snapped him up and many sections of the fans had a bittersweet feeling. Some cheered while others groaned. In the whole knock, no fan took sides. They just enjoyed the spectacle that was put out by de Villiers. He raised the bat and acknowledged the rapturous cheers of the fans.

 

The batting of de Villiers and the magnificent response of the Chinnaswamy crowd have lit up this Test. After the poor attendance in Mohali, this Test has been boosted due to the large crowd. It was a magnificent way to celebrate the magic of a great batsman on a grand occasion.