AB reflects on Sri Lanka victory

Despite posting a demanding target of 300, South Africa saw Sri Lanka race to 87-1 in the first 10 overs of their opening Champions Trophy match at the Kia Oval in London on Saturday.

Was AB de Villiers worried?

AB: When we got a couple of wickets; a wicket or two always turns the momentum around a bit. I was very happy with the way we were in the first 10 overs.

We just hung in there and stayed calm and composed. We used all the information that we were getting to make a breakthrough, and so, yeah, very happy with those first few wickets.

Q: There were three really great moments in the field: Your catch, your run out and Imran's run out. Game changers…

AB: Yeah, those moments happen when you build a bit of pressure on the opposition, when you create a bit of pressure through dot balls and through good bowling, I thought we squeezed really well in patches today, and that's the pressure we're building on the opposition the whole time.

We shifted the pressure really well today. It was all on us the first few overs, and we did really well, managed really well to turn that around and to put it back into their court.

That's when the little moments started happening. Always important to take those moments, those little opportunities that come your way, which we did.

So I was very happy with the way we fielded. We worked really hard at that part of our game, and very happy with the way it went today.

I don't know what I was thinking with the catch, though. It happens quickly, those things. Just glad that it stuck.

Q: You've tried various combinations in your bowling attack, both in New Zealand and in the start of this tour. Do you think that is your best one-day attack that you had or was it again condition-specific?

AB: It was for this condition, for the conditions we were faced with today, and the opposition as well. We felt it was the best attack to get through the Sri Lankan batting order today, and we were right with that.

So I won't say it is our best attack for the rest of the year or anything like that. But it worked today, and our plan was really good.

Q: You've spoken so many times about Amla's batting and he's done it again for you today. Can you tell us what an innings that was?

AB: It was an amazing innings. He did really well to assess the conditions, and communicated well with us, what kind of score is going to be good.

Important for the first 10, 15 overs not to lose too many wickets. Of course there was quite a lot in that wicket early on, and it was really tough to score, both the opening batsmen sent a message across or back to the changing room.

Both of them normally bat around a 100 strike rate without even trying, so that told the story. So when we saw that, it was always going to be important to have a bit of a foundation or a base to play from.



And Faf I thought played exceptionally well coming in in that situation. We were going at around just under three an over when he came in to bat, so there was big pressure there.

They did really well to shift it back to Sri Lanka, and I was very happy with that partnership between the two of them. Gave us a lot of options towards the back end with a few to go and just how to play the situation.

Q: Did he think the 300 would be enough?

AB: He did. We also had a feeling before the start of the game that around 275 was going to be par. We were really happy around 300. We felt that it was tough to hit the ball off the back end. It was really difficult to get it away.

It was always going to be tough for them batting after the new ball to also hit boundaries. So I was very happy with getting around 300. Hash obviously played a huge role in that. Big credit to our batting unit today.

Q: How encouraging was it to see Duminy score some runs in the fashion that he did, coming in at No 6?

AB: He's been playing really well actually. He hasn't scored a lot of runs in the last series, and I'm glad that he got some runs behind the belt.

It's not always about the runs, but we have a lot of faith in him and confidence in him, and he is starting to show that confidence in himself as well, and he's becoming a really dangerous player when he does do that.

We are very happy with the way he played and I'm sure he's also pretty happy.

Q: You were challenged today – good to have that ahead of games against Pakistan and India?

AB: Yes, definitely. That's what it's all about. We are always going to face obstacles and challenges playing different oppositions in different fields and different situations.

Like I said, and I’ve mentioned it before, I was very proud about the way we kept calm and kept our composure in really important times.

The first 10 overs for me bowling was a huge period in the game for us to keep our composure; it was really important not to get panicky, and that starts from me through my body language and the decisions I make.

And there were quite a few other challenges throughout the day, as well, but it gives us confidence going into the next game. More of the same good intensity, calm cricket, and a team that should keep taking opportunities, it will get us into a really good position more often than not.

Q: As someone who has had to balance the different forms of the game yourself, what do you make of Malinga returning for 50 over cricket today after more than a year out?

AB: It's great to see him on the Sri Lankan side. I love watching him bowl. I've always been a fan. He's obviously got to keep working on his game.

He's not far off from his best. And I'm sure he knows that. He's always a dangerous player to play against. I was pretty happy with the way we played against him today. Didn't give him a sniff.

Of course if he picks up one or two wickets, he becomes a really dangerous player. But he'll keep working on his game and he'll surely be effective throughout the tournament.

Q: How do you rate Imran Tahir's performance?

AB: It was close to 10 out of 10. Not only with the ball in hand but that runout, it always shows me where the player is at when he shows that kind of dedication and commitment in the field.

Immy is a great asset for us. He takes wickets and is also economical most of the time. He had a fantastic performance today. To come back to your question, very close to 10 out of 10.


Q: His enthusiasm when he takes a wicket, does that lift the rest of the team?

AB: It's great to see. He's just got a lot of passion for this team and he loves playing for South Africa. I love seeing that passion come out when he celebrates his wickets.

There's nothing wrong with that. He's earned the right to go a little bit overboard sometimes, and it puts a smile an all the teammates' faces, which is great.

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