Phenomenal batting by AB de Villiers, says VVS Laxman

BANGALORE: AB de Villiers redefined batting at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday. Blessed with a superb temperament, the multi-talented South African used his innovative strokes to slam a sizzling 89 off 41 deliveries - including 24 runs off countryman Dale Steyn's last over - to steer Royal Challengers Bangalore to a dramatic four-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman was awestruck by de Villiers' devastating batting display."It's one of the best innings you could see in T20 format, that too with wickets falling at the other end. It was not that de Villiers was having a partnership with the batsman at the other end. It was a phenomenal batting display and AB took the game away from us," said Laxman.
"It's very disappointing to lose. If you see, we dominated most part of the game. But one special innings from one special player changed everything. De Villiers single-handedly won the game for them," Laxman added. "Some of the shots AB hit off Steyn were not bad deliveries, they were excellent shots under pressure."
Laxman felt his team fell short by ten runs. "I think the par score on this wicket was 165. But Mitchell Starc bowled a brilliant last over and David Warner got out in the third delivery. We were ten run short," he said.
Starc, the most economical bowler for RCB on Sunday with match figures of 4-0-21-2, was delighted to have had a close view of de Villiers' blitzkrieg.
"Amazing knock. I was lucky enough to have front row seats out there. To see him hit the ball so well, it was great to see him get us home. It was a fantastic allround effort by the team, nice to get our first win at home this season," said the Australian pacer.
Starc, who walked in to bat when RCB were reeling under five for 95, said he had been pretty much convinced of the victory with de Villiers at his best. "With with AB out there, anything was possible," said Starc, who forged a 28-ball, 57-run partnership for the sixth wicket with the South African. "It was important for me to give as much of the strike to AB as I could. He did all the hard work."
Starc said the team was undeterred by Yuvi's streak of failures. "We won the game today. It doesn't matter how everyone else went. We got home which is the main thing. Yuvi is hitting the ball well and has got another session tomorrow before we play Mumbai," he said.