Quinton de Kock proves he is no baby with the bat with second ODI ton

Quinton de Kock made the perfect use of a 'vacancy' in the South African top order to prove that his batting form was in the pink of health as the baby-faced wicket-keeper-batsman smashed his second ODI century at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday. Twenty-one in less than a fortnight, de Kock opened the South African batting after first-choice opener Graeme Smith was given "personal leave" by the team management. If Smith had played, De Kock would have batted lower down the order. The local lad was out for a career-best 121-ball 135 (18 x 4, 3 x6), caught and bowled by part-time medium pacer Virat Kohli in the 42nd over.  (Highlights)

 

De Kock's knock proved to be a match-winning one as South Africa bundled out India for 217 to comprehensively win the game by 141 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. He was elated with his performance, but maintained that it was a team effort that won them the game. (Dhoni blasts Indian bowling)

 

"I am very proud of my performance as I didn't expect all these things. It's always nice to get Man of the Match, but it was a team effort. Amla was always telling me to go for the shots and play positively. They bowled well initially and were hitting the right areas. I am not a star yet as we have so many stars in our team and it's just a starting phase for me. I'm just a 20-year old trying to do my thing," he said at the post-match presentation. (Baby-faced pink panther Quinton de Kock stars - all the match pics)

 

Left-handed De Kock put the Indian attack to the sword after South Africa were asked to bat by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Batting alongside the dependable Hashim Amla, De Kock was the aggressor, taking the attack to pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami. De Kock reached his fifty in 54 deliveries with eight boundaries. (Scorecard)

The duo put on 152 runs for the first wicket before Amla was bowled by Shami for 65 in the 30th over. It was South Africa's second-highest opening stand versus India at home. Smith and AB de Villiers had put on 173 runs for the first wicket at SuperSport Park, Centurion in 2006. (Wanderers goes pink)

Despite the dismissals of Amla and subsequently Jacques Kallis, de Kock raced to his century in just 101 deliveries. There were no 'nervous nineties' for him either when he pummeled Mohit Sharma past long-on for six when he was on 92. His second century could not be better timed as South Africa need a big score against a very strong Indian batting line-up. De Kock's first ODI century (112) came against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last month. (Match Report)