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Cricket PlayersIndia vs SA: De Kock hits 23rd ton to make comeback count
Quinton de Kock shines with a masterful 106 in the ODI decider against India, showcasing his potential despite South Africa's disappointing total.
Mumbai: A gifted player, Quinton de Kock has been the sort of batter who has always left fans wondering what if he could realise his full potential. His talent was never in question, but his focus and desire though didn’t always align with that.
In between, the South Africa opening batter does show glimpses of what he can achieve when his total attention is on the job on hand, keeping all the outside noise at bay.
On Saturday, at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam, playing the ODI series decider against India, De Kock came out to bat in the right frame of mind, determined to make amends after 0 and 8 in the first two games.
The rhythm and aggression was back as he produced a batting masterclass in a 50-overs game with his 89-ball 106, his 23rd ODI ton and seventh against India. For SA, only Hashim Amla (27) and AB de Villiers are ahead of him.
What makes the left-hand batter standout is his ability to clear the ropes. It was on display at Vizag as he hammered six sixes.
After being kept on a leash by the new ball pair of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, he began his onslaught against Prasidh Krishna. In the tall bowler’s first over, he unleashed his trademark pull shot, and added two more sixes and a four in an 18-run second over to put the speedster under pressure after going for 27 runs in his first two overs.
De Kock’s fifty as well as hundred were brought up with sixes. The fifty, off 42 balls, with his fourth six, off Ravindra Jadeja, and the century off his sixth six, against Rana.
However, his knock couldn’t have the big impact as he would have liked because it came in a game when the other batters floundered. He was left to wage a lone battle and SA were out for a below par 270. Skipper Temba Bavuma was the next best, scoring 48.
The 32-year-old has a special liking for the Indian attack and enjoys batting in Indian conditions. Out of his 23 hundreds, seven have come in India. At the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, he got 594 runs at 59.40 with four centuries, after which he retired.
Though SA didn’t have a perfect game at Vizag, De Kock’s knock will be seen as a big positive. The enigmatic opener is on his SA comeback this season after two years. With the 2027 World Cup at home, the Proteas need their best players.
De Kock has certainly shown form in ODIs. Before landing in India, he had a brilliant comeback series against Pakistan where he hit two fifties and a century in three innings, finishing with an average of 119.50.
The only concern for the SA team management will be whether the mercurial player stays hungry for success till 2027.
A feisty character, De Kock’s career has been embroiled in off the field issues. He refused to take the knee at the 2021 T20 World Cup due to the interference of Cricket South Africa (CSA) and made himself unavailable for the opening match against West Indies. He also didn’t have the motivation to continue playing Tests and retired in 2021, midway through the home series against India. Then came the ODI decision.
Cricket fans will hope one of the game’s top entertainers sticks on for a long run with the Proteas.
