T1 Day 3: AB Backs Ponting's Decision; Makes Light Of His Century

Ab de Villiers, the lone star to shine in the ongoing first Test between South Africa and Australia at the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, believes Ricky Ponting made the right decision not to enforce the follow on.
AB de Villiers played down his own century and of the fact that he was fighting a lone battle with very little ammunition in terms of wickets to aid him in his efforts. “I wasn’t that worried about running out of partners. There isn’t much difference in being not out on 90 or 100. I would rather have got 150 which would have put us in a much better position.”

Having said that, he was proud of his own performance, “I have been concentrating on doing my basics very well. It seems to have worked for me. I am obviously also getting more experienced as my career grows.”
While most people in cricket circles were baffled by the Australian skipper’s decision not to enforce the follow on after South Africa succumbed to 220 all out in their first innings, conceding a lead of 267 runs. Many were of the belief that by inserting South Africa in under rather helpful conditions and the Australian fast bowlers are lot more accurate their than South African counterparts had been through the entirety of an innings, Australia would be taking the best opportunity to win the match.
But Ponting had other ideas, did not enforce the follow and instead decided to bat again and put up a formidable fourth innings target for the hosts. But given that rain disrupted the match and the unknown factor being the time available to bowl South Africa a second time, Ponting’s decision did not share popular opinion.
But AB was hundred per cent behind the Australian skipper, “I would have done the same in his position. We might have got back into the game had he sent us back into bat. We have a lot of top-class batsmen in our side who are determined to do much better in the second innings. I think he wants to bat us out of the match and set a target that he believes we cannot get.”
That’s one way of looking at things.

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