Faf du Plessis was so nervous before his firsttest innings for South Africa that he slipped out of one of his boots walkingtoward the field and was afraid he might get timed out before he'd had a chanceto bat.
The drama before his creditable 78 on the weekend wasnothing compared with his unbeaten 110 in his second dig on Monday, when hebatted all through the last day to save the second test against Australia.
In the process, he became the first South African to score acentury and a half-century on test debut. But more significant was the time hespent at the crease denying the Australian bowlers for more than seven hoursand helping South Africa draw a match that even many of their own supportershad written off as loss.
The 28-year-old du Plessis was cramping near the end, withfielders crowded around the bat and with No. 10 batsman Morne Morkel trying tohold up an end in the dying overs. The ninth-wicket pair held on for longenough to ensure the draw in the last over after five days — when theAustralians only needed two wickets to win.
"I think it just makes it a little bit moresweeter," du Plessis said. "The story wouldn't have been that nice ifmy body was all feeling fine."
"It just shows how far you can go if you're mentallystrong enough."
Du Plessis has taken a long time to establish himself as afirst-class cricketer, so he was determined to make the most of his chanceafter being called into the test team after J.P. Duminy was injured last weekin Brisbane. He has played 26 limited-overs international for South Africa,with a modest average of 28, but has played 78 first-class matches in Englandand South Africa and averages 38.30 at that level, with eight hundreds and 29half-centuries.
"I would have been very happy just to be part of theteam coming here," he said. "It's just nice using my opportunity verywell."
His performance in Adelaide, where he faced 376 balls in agritty defensive knock, has already been widely acclaimed by the South Africancricket fraternity, so he should get another chance in the third test in Perthstarting Friday.
Skipper Graeme Smith said the innings was inspirational.Cricket South Africa acting chief executive Jacques Faul added: "Faf'sperformance in this match was world class by any standards, but to do it ondebut in an away test against Australia was absolutely phenomenal."
Du Plessis credited his old high school friend AB deVilliers and veteran allrounder Jacques Kallis for getting him through theinnings.
He anchored an 89-run, fifth-wicket stand with de Villiers(33) and 99 for the sixth with Kallis (46), who was batting with a hamstringinjury that has prevented him for bowling or fielding since early on day oneand could rule him out of the third test.
Du Plessis went in with the score at 45-4 on Sunday, chasinga target of 430, and survived until stumps. The South Africans resumed at 77-4on Monday didn't lose another wicket until Peter Siddle bowled de Villiers justafter lunch to end his 220-ball innings — the longest without a boundary intest records. Kallis batted stubbornly for 2 ½ hours, facing 110 balls beforehe walked after giving a bat-pad catch off Nathan Lyon, soon after ushering duPlessis to his hundred.
"If you looked at it yesterday, it was quite a long wayaway. AB and Jacques really helped me a lot," du Plessis said. "I hada lot of questions for them and they kept me calm, especially in the 90s.
"In the 90s, I was going through a lot of emotions. I hadgoose bumps — it's the record for the longest goosebumps ever. I said tomyself, 'Don't think too much of your hundred, let it come to you. The teamwants you to be defensive here and be solid and wait for it.' So I'm verygrateful."
He's also very thankful for the DRS — or decision reviewsystem — where each team has limited chances to refer an umpire's decision to aTV official to determine if it was correct or not.
He was in his 30s when Australian captain Michael Clarkethought he'd taken his wicket, twice, for lbw.
One was close, the ball pitching a fraction outside legstump when he didn't offer a shot; the other was a poor call from umpire BillyBowden that didn't even hit him on the pad.
He survived a third review for an awkward lbw, this time bythe Australians after Bowden gave him not out to Lyon in the penultimate overof the morning session, when replays indicated the ball would have bounced overthe stumps.
It was quite a character-building exercise, as Smith saw it.
"Today I just wanted to see the guys show a bit ofcharacter," he said. "For me, it was incredible to see the guys whorepresented us out there today, the skill, determination and the pride theytook in their performances. They represented us immensely, and a lot of peopleback home. For me, that is the most fulfilling thing of today."