5 times AB de Villiers the tormentor turned protector

#4 106* off 186 balls vs Australia, Perth 2008

Back on a sunny day in 2008, during the first test of South Africa's tour of Australia, when Australia set the visitors a commanding target of 414 runs, little did they know what was to befall them.

South Africa were at 179/3 when a 24-year-old De Villiers came into bat. They were still 235 runs behind the target, and one bad shot could be the catalyst behind a typical 4th innings collapse.

Riding a few tense moments early, when Brett Lee was steaming in, De Villiers looked more and more focused as the innings wore on. It was a big target, though the pitch wasn't behaving too badly. It was all about staying at the wicket for long hours.

Did De Villiers have the mental courage to bat long on a Day 5 pitch, and help secure South Africa a stunning victory?

During the course of his innings, cricket pundits over the globe declared that this innings could be a turning point in his career. De Villiers steadied himself for the long haul and didn't play one out of character shot for the entirety of his 276-minute knock.

He crafted a well made century and South Africa chased down 414, the 2nd highest successful chase of all time in Test Cricket. This was one of the innings which catapulted De Villiers into stardom, and he hasn't looked back ever since.