On This Day in 2012: Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers demonstrate unreal resistance

It is that time of the newly started decade when the downfall of living a life as an invincible Australian had become a piece of history. It was finally a pulse where Graeme Smith’s South Africa could wield its impregnable force when it came to Test Cricket.

Earlier, Smith’s South Africa had already beaten England in England which was the top-ranked Test team at that time and were all set to add another feather of glory while touring to Australia for three Tests. The anticipation of such a marquee series was highly cosmic mainly because of what South Africa had pulled off back in 2008-09.

With the first Test in Brisbane merely ending in a draw and with Duminy getting injured, Faf du Plessis’ Test debut meant certain. Australia, on the other hand, won the toss and made a mammoth 1st innings total of 550 and restricted South Africa to a score of 388 which included a fighting 78 off 159 deliveries by Du Plessis in his first outing, along with skipper’s 122 on the top. His first delivery in Test cricket which was a nice glance towards the on-side never magnified any sorts of agitations.

However, while grabbing a lead above 150 and by posting a second innings score of 267-8 Australia by no means looked in a mood of a draw but that’s where the fellow Faf- the darnedest stamped his heroics.

After scoring 78 in his first innings, Du Plessis returned to the crease with South Africa needing to bat close to four sessions to save the Test match and with De Villiers at the other end, the formula of leaving, when the ball is pitched outside off and to block if it’s in the line did allow South Africa to combat the Aussie bowling until it was lunch Day 5.

This Day in 2012, SA saved the Adelaide test match pic.twitter.com/KlX3VuiiD0

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By the stroke of lunch, De Villiers and Du Plessis had made Proteas realize that a potential historic save can be on the cards. But eventually, the partnership which had batted together for 68 overs was broken with three hours of play still left in the day. But Du Plessis’ hindrance did continue which also brought his maiden Test hundred and superficially made South Africa save a historic Test match.

Faf batted 376 balls and out of them, only a dozen made him worry, which also got refrained all thanks to the Adelaide pitch and DRS. His block feast lasted for close to 8 hours with five different partners battling the greatest challenges one can as a player face.