AB is like a mind-reading bloodhound: Dale Steyn

One of the most beautiful sights for any cricket fan in the world is to watch AB de Villiers take strike. However, while the fans clamor for the ball to fly into the stands, the bowlers hate bowling to him. How could you blame them? Each time they run in, they have it. Even Mitchell Johnson, one of the best bowlers of his time had conceded that de Villiers was the toughest he had bowled to.

However, Dale Steyn has also had reason to fear the 32-year old superman. In his column with the Times of India, Steyn has stated that his compatriot is like a ‘mind-reading bloodhound’. In spite of being his teammate on the international stage, Steyn was at the receiving end when the Sunrisers Hyderabad took on the Royal Challengers Bangalore last season. Steyn was smashed for 30 runs by de Villiers in just one over.

In his column for Times of India, Steyn wrote that the knock de Villiers played during the Qualifier 1 match in Bengaluru could rate in the batsman’s top-ten favourite knocks.

“When AB de Villiers is at the crease, you do not discount anything. Anything,” wrote Steyn. “I know he doesn’t keep a list of his favourite or best innings, never has, but there must be people who do. I wonder where they put that one. Top ten?”

“AB is like a mind-reading bloodhound. He can smell the emotions of the opposition and he predicts what they are going to do and how they will behave. He probably sensed that the bowlers were on edge, desperate for another wicket to get into the tail, and he pounced – reversing the pressure as we always try to do. He was brilliant – again,” Steyn summed up.