I have played with him and I am really proud of him: AB de Villiers on Sarfaraz Khan
New Delhi, Feb 21: Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers lauded the performances of Sarfaraz Khan and Shubman Gill, as well as the remarkable display of talent by Yashasvi Jaiswal, in the ongoing Test series between India and England.
Sarfaraz Khan, who made his debut in the third Test against England in Rajkot, showcased his mettle with scores of 62 and an unbeaten 68*.
De Villiers, who shared the dressing room with Sarfaraz during their time at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), expressed delight at the young cricketer's achievements. De Villiers praised Sarfaraz's level-headedness and down-to-earth demeanor, highlighting the emotional moment when Sarfaraz's father blew kisses in celebration of his fifty.
"I have played with this boy before and he is a very level-headed and down-to-earth guy. I am really proud of him. It was great to see his dad blow kisses after Sarfaraz reached fifty and it was heartwarming for me to watch,” said De Villiers on his You Tube channel.
Furthermore, De Villiers commended Shubman Gill for his vital knock of 91 runs, which played a crucial role in India setting a mammoth target of 557 for England in the same Test match. Despite facing pressure and being out of form, Gill's innings provided him with much-needed breathing space in the Indian team, according to De Villiers.
"He (Gill) has been under pressure and isn't in the best of forms. But he played such a crucial knock under pressure and that too at a crucial point in his career. This innings was crucial for him to get some breathing space in that Indian team."
In addition to Sarfaraz and Gill's contributions, De Villiers showered accolades on Yashasvi Jaiswal for his sensational back-to-back double centuries in the series. Jaiswal's aggressive batting style and ability to dominate the England bowling attack left De Villiers in awe, with the former South African captain expressing his admiration for the young talent's skill and temperament.
De Villiers expressed full confidence in Jaiswal's ability to continue his remarkable form across different conditions and against varied oppositions, both at home and away.
"There are not enough words to witness. It is aggressive batting and just makes the game look so easy. I love watching him (Jaiswal) play and it seems like the pressure is always on the bowlers."
With Jaiswal amassing an impressive 545 runs in six innings at an astonishing average of 109, England faces a daunting task in containing the prodigious talent in the upcoming Test in Ranchi.
The fourth Test of the series will start on Friday at Ranchi.