Gloves are off for big Test battle

A TWEAKED hamstring prevented AB de Villiers from keeping wicket in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Now, his lingering back problem has made it highly unlikely he will be behind the stumps for the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo tomorrow.

So, it seems Quinton de Kock will retain the gloves and De Villiers will again play as a batsman.

Yesterday, De Villiers tried to explain the situation.

“In the last game I had that ‘hammy’ issue,” he said. “That’s sort of recovered, but my back has always been an issue.”

Another problem, De Villiers said, was that his most recent Test as a wicketkeeper was against Australia at Newlands in a match that started on March 1 – more than five months ago.

“It’s difficult to take on the gloves, especially keeping in mind that I haven’t kept for – what is it – six or seven months now. So, with that injury and a two-day turnaround after the day off yesterday (Monday), for me to get into shape with my gloves on, and considering my back, would be a little bit unfair.

“I’m still willing to take the gloves. I just have to come into a series prepared and without any niggles.”

The problem with that theory, especially if De Villiers’ back has “always been an issue”, is that he went from February to October last year – almost eight months – without keeping wicket in a Test.

What would De Kock’s selection behind the stumps tomorrow mean going forward?

“I’d still like to think I’m a wicketkeeping batsman and whatever the team wants me to do, I’ll do that,” said De Villiers. “If they want me to take the gloves, I’d like to do that.”

The pitch for tomorrow’s game sported a thick thatch of brown grass, which groundstaff said would not be cut.

But no amount of grass of whatever colour is going to change the SSC’s reputation as a place where bowlers come to die, metaphorically – the pitch is at least as flat as the top of Table Mountain.

However, De Villiers thought things could be different this time, thanks to Sunday’s outcome.

“From Sri Lanka’s point of view, they would like to get a result out of this and so do we. That’s good for the game; that’s what everyone wants. No matter what the wicket looks like, we’ll be going for a win.”

As a veteran of SA’s last match at SSC, in 2006 when Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene shared a stand of 624 and the Lankans declared on 756/5 on their way to an innings victory, De Villiers had another reason to hope matters unfolded differently.

“That was part of my growing up as a cricketer. Let’s look at it as payback time.”