Hobart: South African Quinton de Kock played down comparisons with destructive wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist as he continued to flay Australia’s bowlers on Monday.
The 23-year-old wicketkeeper blazed his second Test century to help give the Proteas a potential match-winning 241-run innings lead over the Australians in the second Test on Monday.
By stumps on the third day in Hobart, the Aussies had whittled that lead down to 120 runs with two days remaining.
The swashbuckling de Kock has been likened Australian gloveman Gilchrist, who revolutionised the wicketkeeper-batsman role with 17 Test centuries, often turning matches with his prodigious hitting.
But de Kock played down the comparison after pounding 104 off 143 balls, including 17 boundaries.
“I don’t try to play like him, it’s just the way I play,” de Kock told reporters.
“I don’t see myself being like him, I just see the ball, hit the ball type thing, have my own certain game plan.
“So that’s the way I like to play.”
De Kock’s stand of 144 with schoolboy friend Temba Bavuma was the highest by a visiting team in Hobart for the sixth wicket. De Kock has now scored 540 runs in the current calendar year for an average of 80, which is the best in the year so far.
“Some days I can get off to a good start and keep a good momentum for the team, and some days I am going to need to grind it out,” de Kock said.
“The conditions determine how I play, I guess.”
De Kock became only the fourth South African to score 50 or more in five consecutive Tests after he swept spinner Nathan Lyon for four over wide mid-on.
He is averaging 84 in the current series batting at No. 7 following scores of 84 and 64 in the crushing first Test victory in Perth.
Luck deserted Australia in their desperate bid to salvage the second Test with South Africa snaring the vital wicket of David Warner in unfortunate circumstances.
Warner, who was seeking redemption after his reckless dismissal in the opening over of the first innings, lost his wicket while at the forefront of Australia’s fightback.
At stumps on the third day the home side were 121 for two, still 120 runs behind the Proteas, who have been in control of the Test since routing Australia for 85 on Saturday.
Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 56, his ninth Test half-century, with skipper Steve Smith not out 18.
Warner flung his head back in despair when a ball from Kyle Abbott hit his hip and ricocheted off an elbow onto his stumps when he was on 45.
It gave the Proteas a huge fillip after Warner and Khawaja had recovered the innings with a 79-run stand after the loss of Joe Burns in the first over.
Burns lasted just four balls before he was caught behind, tickling at one wide down the leg-side from Abbott.
“We’ve done well with the bat, two unlucky dismissals, but that happens in cricket and the boys have shown some good fight, digging in even though the ball is nipping around a fair bit,” Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood said.
“A really good partnership in the morning, a good first hour and that will go a long way to having a good day tomorrow.”
Khawaja played some lovely shots in his vigil, providing great support for his captain Smith, who top scored with an unbeaten 48 in the first innings shambles.
