This was not an Indian Premier league (IPl) game where he walked out to bat for the city franchisee but a batsman who would counter India, yet, when Abraham Benjamin de Villiers started his walk to the crease, around 20,000 fans were shouting ‘ABD.. ABD’.
No wonder the parents seated in the VIP stands were amazed at the scenes which certainly made them emotional.
But then, ABD is a special player, who has crossed the barrier with his skill and goodwill to transform himself from a star cricketer into a loved cricketer as he walked in for his 100th Test match.
After Sachin Tendulkar stopped at 200 Test matches, the 100 Test barrier has lost a bit of novelty but when the atmosphere of an Indian stadium feels like Kingsmead in Durban or Newlands in Cape Town, it means the protagonist in question has won many more hearts than number of matches for his team.
Call it the IPl effect but not every overseas international player gets a standing ovation even for a minor landmark like half century nor there is sigh of despair when the same man gets out 15 short of a landmark, a century in 100th Test, which only eight cricketers have achieved in Tests.
“I was surprised hearing the chants ABD, ABD. I thought they were moaning when AB got out. We all know that Bangalore is AB’s ‘second home’ now that he has been playing IPl for Royal Challengers Bangalore for such a long time. I hope he now learns an Indian language,” AB de Villiers Senior, who along with his wife Millie dropped in at the media enclosure, said.
Make no mistake, the Bangalore crowd went into raptures every time when Ashwin or Jadeja got a wicket. But the applause was equally warm and generous when De Villiers hit an off-drive off Ishant or rocked back to disdainfully square cut Jadeja.
He was playing for the team as he waged a lonely battle against the Indian spin duo just as his other teammates came and went.
Being a team player is something that has been ingrained in AB since he was a youngster.
Perhaps the genuineness in AB has helped him build a bridge between him and the Indian fans as effortlessly as he hits those reverse flicks of tearaway quicks. There is a reason why Indian fans love their ‘ABD’.