5 Things India need to do to counter the AB de Villiers threat

360-degree playerThe word ‘Freedom’ doesn’t always have happy connotations. Ask the Indian bowlers who are faced with the herculean task of containing AB de Villiers over the next two months. The fastest batsman to 8000 and 7000 ODI runs is also India’s biggest probable nightmare ahead of a long series.He has already played a decisive role in the first T20I and given his experience in the IPL, he knows a lot of the grounds where India will play South Africa in the next two T20 matches, five ODIs and four Tests. AB de Villiers is called a genius for more than one reason.Firstly, he has popularised what is known as 360-degree hitting - which means he can hit any bowler to any part of the ground. He can scoop the fastest balls over fine leg, pull in front of square, cut late, drive gracefully, loft at will and flick the full balls.It helps that he was an amazing tennis player who ditched tennis for cricket but brought those wrists, legs and forearms. A more sublime footwork hasn’t been seen on the cricket field. Restraining him would be as tough as restraining an elephant running amok, a smart, smiling elephant that will delightfully unravel your attack, one piece at a time.However, plans have to be made and plans have to be executed if India have to bring the mammoth down. Here are a few pointers to what India might possibly want to do against the versatile batsman.

#1 Line and length

Bhuvi’s strategy on AB

Like Bhuvneshwar Kumar pointed out in pre-series talks, if there is one thing AB de Villiers loves, it is a bowler who is confused with his line and length. No bowler can pull off, under consistent pressure, six experimental deliveries to perfection. The one delivery gone wrong will be punished.

It is, therefore, important to let De Villiers do the dancing and moving while sticking to a 3/4ths length on the fourth stump. This is a good line because it doesn’t give De Villiers the room to play his shots on the offside or the freedom to manoeuvre them on the onside.

He will still be able to score off them, but it will be that much harder. The more one can make De Villiers work for his shots and manufacture them out of good balls, the more are the chances to get him out.

You err in line and he will figure a way out to maximise the benefits. But, a tight ball is likely to confuse him about his options and that is half the win. If you are bowling in the slog overs, the length needs to be full and straight, something most Indian bowlers with the exception of Kumar still don’t get right. That could be a key area.

#2 Alert on the field

Fielders need to be on their toes

A look at the mode of dismissals for AB de Villiers shows, he is out caught by a fielder 70 times out of 151 dismissals. He is also run-out 17-time which is a tad higher than the ratios for Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.

The reason is simple. De Villiers doesn’t have obvious weaknesses except that he hits the ball very consistently and runs hard between the wickets. That is also his undoing. He gives a lot of opportunities in the field.

He puts fielders and bowlers under tremendous pressure, but if you have to get him out, you need to be on your toes. It helps that De Villiers, because of his unbelievable running sometimes puts his partners under pressure like Hashim Amla realised in the first T20I. He has been involved in many run-outs in critical matches.

So, India cannot afford to miss any catches or run-out opportunities which De Villiers is likely to provide.

#3 Use spin to attack

Ashwin bowled De Villiers in the first Twenty20 international

AB de Villiers doesn’t have obvious weaknesses. But Ravichandran Ashwin did get the better of him in the first T20I with a good off-spinning delivery. AB has been dismissed 51 times by a spinner, in 182 innings.

Sachin Tendulkar has been dismissed by spinners just 67 times in 452 innings. Ricky Ponting has been dismissed by a spinner 92 times in 365 innings. Ponting had a weakness against spinners and yet, his dismissal ratio is better than that of De Villiers.

In others words, Indian spinners have a genuine opportunity against him. It is important for MS Dhoni to unleash Ashwin, who is in the form of his life, against De Villiers as soon as he comes into bat.

While De Villiers gets to practice against Imran Tahir in the nets, he is still vulnerable to leg-spin. De Villiers has reasonable experience playing Ashwin in the IPL. That makes it tough for Ashwin or any other Indian spinner to outsmart De Villiers. At the same time, ODI is a different monster compared to T20I where De Villiers is usually batting in all attack mode as a finisher.

#4 Bat first

De Villiers averages less when batting first

AB de Villiers averages 57 in chases and 50 while batting first. Does that mean you ask him to bat first? No way. That is because, while batting first De Villiers has a strike-rate of 104, a full 11 points over his batting strike-rate while chasing.

That is obviously because one cannot play as freely while chasing a target as one can while setting a target. In 97 innings batting first, De Villiers has 15 centuries and 21 half-centuries. In 85 innings batting second, he has five centuries and 26 half-centuries.

Besides, South Africa don’t chase well. That adds extra pressure on De Villiers to perform. That explains his higher average. However, the average doesn’t tell another story - his influence. De Villiers influences the game a lot more batting first than by batting second.

His average in day-night matches is lower too. Most importantly, De Villiers is critically different from Virat Kohli in an important aspect - he doesn’t play cautiously in the beginning with the hope of making up in the end. He maintains a tempo. He starts attacking early. While chasing that tempo could get him into greater trouble, considering India will put up big totals batting first on sub-continental tracks.

#5 Be aggressive

Aggresive bowling can kill De Villiers’ flow

The one adage with great batsmen is getting them early. AB de Villiers has been dismissed 58 times before reaching 20. That ratio is lower than that of Sachin Tendulkar or Ricky Ponting in De Villiers’ defence.

It means, it is not easy to get him early. But, it is also noted that he is out bowled, caught behind or LBW quite a bit early in the innings. It is important therefore to be aggressive to De Villiers and attack him with the best bowlers. Like Wahab Riaz showed in the World Cup, De Villiers has a weakness against genuinely aggressive bowling.

That is because he doesn’t tone down against aggressive bowlers. He counter-attacks and therein lies the best opportunity to get him. Aggression also means clarity. The bowler must know if he wants to bowl very full or very short.

Anywhere mid-way and De VIlliers can thwack them, considering he lofts and pulls good length balls at will, manufacturing them from crazy angles by using the entire crease extremely well and in the last moment.