5 great innings by AB de Villiers that prove he is an underrated Test batsman

He doesn't think very hard, he just does his job on autopilot. With ice water running through his veins, he shows no signs of nerves as he goes after the most potent bowling attacks in the world and shreds them to pieces.

AB de Villiers transforms into a Brobdingnagian whenever he has the willow in his hand. When the Proteas’ batting kingpin is on a song, no bowler stands a chance.

Although, there is no doubt that the 33-year-old cyborg is an accomplished limited-overs batsman, yet, many believe that De Villiers still needs to prove his mettle in the longest format of the game.

Test cricket puts patience to utmost test and forbearance is a virtue possessed by few.

De Villiers' endurance and strength of will have been put to test a lot of times, but, he never flinched, instead, he played some crucial Test innings in torrid batting conditions to prove his critics wrong.

Now, let us have a look at five spectacular innings that prove Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is an underrated batsman in the five-day format and he deserves a lot more respect than he usually gets as a Test batsman.

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#5 106* vs Australia, Perth (2008)

AB de Villiers' valiant knock of 106* resulted in an emphatic win for South Africa.

In December 2008, Australia set a 414-run target for South Africa to win the first Test of the three-match series at the WACA.

Skipper Graeme Smith scored 108 before being dismissed to lay a solid foundation for a thrilling run chase as AB de Villiers walked out to bat at 179/3 after Hashim Amla's (53) fall.

De Villiers, who kept hanging in there, was involved in two 100-plus run partnerships, 124 runs with Jacques Kallis (57) and an unbeaten 111-run stand with debutant JP Duminy (50*) as the visitors completed the second-highest run chase in Test history to claim a stunning six-wicket victory over the hosts.

Riding on De Villiers' valiant 106*, the Proteas were able to complete the highest successful run chase on Australian soil.

#4 83 vs New Zealand, Hamilton (2012)

AB de Villiers kept attacking the New Zealand bowlers with a positive mindset.

The score of 83 might undermine the amount of struggle behind its achievement, but, unfazed by his slog, AB de Villiers kept applying himself as Mark Gillespie ripped the heart out of South Africa's batting line-up with 5 for 59.

It goes without saying that the 2nd Test of South Africa's 2012 Tour of New Zealand was a low-scoring affair.

De Villiers, who witnessed a collapse, occupied the crease from mid-morning to late in South Africa first innings at Hamilton and orchestrated a recovery that took the visitors from 88 for 6 to 253.

In a contest where neither team shone with the bat, De Villiers' innings was a laudable effort.

The hero of Proteas' first innings did not require a second outing as they comfortably won the match in the fourth innings by 9 wickets.

#3 33 vs Australia, Adelaide (2012)

AB de Villiers was a tough nut to crack as scored 33 runs at a strike rate of 15.

Yes, an innings, in which AB de Villiers scored 33 off 230 balls, deserves to be on the list that features his highest Test score.

His innings during the 2nd Test between Australia and South Africa at Adelaide was an antithesis to his tormentor image, but, when you look at it from the context of the match, it was one hell of a stonewalling effort.

Although that 2012 Test is better remembered for Faf Du Plessis' tenacious ton on his Test debut, without De Villiers' relentless, stroke-less 33, the newbie's gritty knock would have gone in vain.

Set 430 to win, South Africa were staring down the barrel with 77/4 at the start of day five, but, De Villiers, who faced 220 balls without hitting a boundary, shared a vital 89-run stand with Du Plessis as the visitors secured a hard-fought draw to stay alive in the series.

#2 278* vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi (2010)

It was a golden opportunity for AB de Villiers to score his maiden triple century

There is no doubt that AB de Villiers' highest Test score came on a flat deck, nonetheless, it was a spirited innings. No other South African batsman except Jacques Kallis (105) and Hashim Amla (62) even crossed the score of fifty in that match.

In a monumental effort, De Villiers achieved South Africa's then highest individual Test score of 278 not out off 418 balls.

In November 2010 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, De Villiers struck 23 fours and six sixes against Pakistan to surpass the previous mark of 277 set by the captain Graeme Smith against England in 2003.

It was a golden opportunity for De Villiers to score his maiden triple century but in the interest of his team to get a result out of the game, the first innings was declared at 584/9.

Due to the flat nature of the surface, the match was eventually drawn, but, that marathon innings from AB de Villiers will be a landmark for the generations to come.

#1 65 & 35 vs India, Cape Town (2018)

AB de Villiers entered into a zone of his own to orchestrate the Protean fight back.

Last year, during the ICC Champions Trophy in June, there were reports that AB de Villiers was suffering from a hamstring issue and needed time to recover from it.

Therefore, the former South Africa captain took a break from the longest format of the game, but, many believed that his Test career was over.

Despite playing international cricket for 13 years, when De Villiers walked out to bat in the first Test of the ongoing series against India at Cape Town, he had a lot to prove.

But, the Superman did not show any signs of nerves and went after the Indian bowlers from the word go to score an 84-ball 65.

The hosts were reduced to 12/3 in the first five overs courtesy a hostile bowling spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar but De Villiers did not get flustered by the events happening around him and entered into a zone of his own to orchestrate the Protean fight back.

The 34-year-old launched a counter-attack on Bhuvneshwar, who ran through South Africa's top order, to ensure that the home team reached a respectable total of 286 in the first innings.

Even during the second innings, De Villiers fought a lone battle and scored 35 off 50 balls before the hosts suffered a massive collapse and were bundled out on 130, their second-lowest Test total at home against the Indians.

Eventually, the tourists faltered in the chase and lost the match by 72 runs as AB de Villiers proved to be the differentiator between the two teams in a low-scoring encounter. The 33-year-old also validated the fact that he is still the nucleus of South Africa's batting order and is far from finished.