AB de Villiers to Play a Century of Tests - His Top Five Innings

When Abraham Benjamin de Villiers walks out on to the field at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Saturday, he will join an elite list of players to have played a century of Tests. Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Makhya Ntini, Gary Kirsten and Shaun Pollock have also played a 100 Tests for South Africa.

'AB' De Villiers, who is the third highest run-scorer for South Africa after Kallis and Smith, made his debut against England at Port Elizabeth in 2004. (AB de Villiers Warns Virat Kohli: I am Not a Nice Guy)

Since his debut, De Villiers' stature has increased manifold and he has established himself as one the most destructive batsman in all forms of the game. Sunil Gavaskar calls him a "superman" and Virat Kohli says he is among the top five in the world. (We Expect AB de Villiers to Win Game For us in His 100th Test: Hashim Amla)

If De Villiers holds the record for scoring the fastest ODI century, his Test career boasts of an equally impressive record of 7,685 runs with 21 centuries and 37 half-centuries at an average of 51.92 from 99 Tests.

Here is a look at the top five Test innings that De Villiers has played in his career so far.  (South Africa Seek Revival In AB de Villiers' 100th Test)

109 vs England, Centurion 2005

First century is always special one for a Test player. It was a glimpse of AB de Villiers' true talent. After missing out on a century in the first innings, De Villiers was determined to make up for it in the second innings.

Opening the innings with Herschelle Gibbs, AB reached the three-figure mark with a boundary off England's Simon Jones at the SuperSport Park, Centurion during the fifth Test match. Although the weather played spoilsport, but it surely made De Villiers' Test a memorable one.

217 not out vs India, Ahmedabad, 2008

It was one of those matches where AB de Villiers just tore into Indian bowling attack. The Indian team which had the likes of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni were shot out on the opening day itself for just 76. Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini ripped apart the famed Indian batting line-up with figures of 5-23 and 3-18, respectively.

South Africa then turned the heat after No. 6 De Villiers decimated the Indian bowling line-up with a 333-ball 217 not out as the visitors piled on a mammoth 494/7 decl. In the process, De Villiers became the first South African to score a double ton against India, putting on a record 256 with Kallis to bat India out of the Test.

India did come up with a better display in their second essay, but couldn't do enough as South Africa wrapped up the game by an innings and 90 runs.

106 not out vs Australia, Perth, 2008

Many reckon that this was perhaps ABD's best Test innings so far. And why not, after all, it came in a winning cause for South Africa.

Australia set South Africa a winning target of 414. Smith and Hashim Amla gave Proteas the ideal platform, before De Villiers, with this seventh Test ton, and Kallis, with a fighting 57, scripted a memorable win. AB's knock helped Proteas win the Test series 2-1 to become one of top sides in longer version of the game.

163 vs Australia, Cape Town, 2009

It was the third Test in Newlands. Australia decided to bat first after winning the toss but could only manage 209. South Africa's reply was an emphatic one with centuries from Ashwell Prince, Jacques Kallis and De Villiers.

De Villiers added to the mountain of runs as he decimated a quality Australian bowling attack that boasted of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus. Courtesy of AB's 163, South Africa posted a mammoth 651 runs in their first innings. The hosts then dismissed Australia for 422, thereby clinching up the Test by an innings and 20 runs

278 not out vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2010

Abu Dhabi, Pakistan cricket's adopted home, has always been known to be a batsman's paradise. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first and it backfired heavily. Batting at No. 5 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, de Villiers smashed his way to South Africa's highest individual Test score of 278 not out off 418 balls as the visitors piled on 584/9 decl in their first innings.

De Villiers played well with the tail-enders as he inched towards his second double ton of his career. He reached the landmark with a boundary off Umar Gul and after that, he went berserk against the pacers and spinners. De Villiers put on 107 runs for the final wicket with Morne Morkel.

Pakistan responded with a good batting display, scoring 434 all out and the game ended in a draw. But it was de Villiers who hogged all the limelight with a stupendous knock.