Last Updated on 7 years by Charbel Coorey

So, AB de Villiers has still got it!

The general consensus when AB returned to Test cricket against Zimbabwe on Boxing Day 2017 was whether or not he could still show the form we’ve seen from him over the years. It’s safe to say that AB is well and truly back with a bang, not only because of the runs he’s scored, but because his team desperately needed them.

Here is a closer look at each of his significant scores in 2018 so far, and how he really helped his team:

65 (84) v India, 1st Test, 1st innings, Cape Town


2018 began with a high profile Test series between World no. 2 South Africa at home to World no. 1 India. The Proteas could not have had a worse start, falling to 12/3, at the hands of the excellent Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the first morning of the series.

This is a situation where most players coming in would go into their shell and try figure out some way to help their team get out of the hole. Not AB. AB played a wonderful counter attacking knock on a challenging, seaming pitch that shifted the momentum his team’s way. De Villiers helped lift South Africa from 12/3 to 126/3, and when he was dismissed, he had turned the momentum enough to help the middle and lower order rally to reach 286, which ended up a huge score in the context of that match.

AB played a fine knock on the opening day of the big series v India

35 (50) v India, 1st Test, 2nd innings, Cape Town


You might ask – “how is 35 significant”?

In South Africa’s second innings score of 130, it was really significant as he ensured South Africa gave India a target of over 200 in the fourth innings. de Villiers once again showed his class, scoring at a very good pace on a pitch where pretty much all batsmen were struggling. A special player stands out when things aren’t easy, and AB did that in the Cape Town Test.

South Africa eventually won the Test by 72 runs, and took a 1-0 series lead.

AB made another vital contribution in the second innings

80 (121) v India, 2nd Test, 2nd innings, Centurion

AB played a key second innings knock in Centurion v India

AB fought a lone battle in the 1st innings in Durban v Australia

Memorable 126* by AB. Even Warner was clapping.