AB de Villiers prepares for his 100th test match amid increasing popularity and rising expectations.
De Villiers, among the most popular South Africans on social media with 3 million followers on Twitter, will have even more support than usual when his team plays India in the second test starting Saturday at Bangalore, his home ground when he's playing for RCB in the IPl.
The 31-year-old de Villiers excels as a batsman in limited-overs cricket because of his "360-degree" reach in terms of strokes, but his test record also would be the envy of most batsmen.
"I like the challenge of changing," de Villiers said ahead of the second test. "I've always enjoyed challenging myself, adapting to different conditions — challenges in life and cricket. I believe it brings out the best in people."