Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

“I did get a bit lucky”

South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock laughed at India pace bowler Ishant Sharma’s comment about him having “been quite lucky” to become the fifth cricketer in ODI history to score three centuries in a row.

Following the third ODI against South Africa, which was abandoned due to heavy rain after the Proteas scored 301, Sharma said: “I think he has been quite lucky. I can say that. Because the ball is getting in between fielders, he is getting top edges, players have been dropping catches off him. I think, you have to take positives. If he is scoring, good for him. What we can do is more important.”

Responding to Sharma’s remarks, de Kock said: “He was telling the truth. I did get a bit lucky today. There were two dropped catches and I was really angry with myself. I just had to go back into my bubble again.”

De Kock also admitted that he could not remember what captain AB de Villiers, who also made a century during the match, had told him throughout his innings.

“I don’t remember what he said.”

Following that comment, de Villiers laughed and said: “You don’t remember anything. I spoke to him twice. I spoke to him before the start of the game today and I told him never to be satisfied. And then I spoke to him when he was the 90s. Anyway, he can’t remember anything.”

However, de Kock did remember that this century was “one of the harder hundreds of these last three” due to the conditions and the fact that South Africa had been reduced to 28/3 within eight overs.

De Kock believes that he has “grown a lot” over the past couple of months and hopes that his sparkling run of form never ends.

“I think I have grown a lot,” he said. “My confidence was never there before. It has grown a lot. My work ethic has grown as well.”

Despite his recent form with the bat, de Kock continues to be snubbed when it comes to Test cricket.

However, the 20-year-old has not given up just yet, stating that he will work even harder to ensure that he truly earns his spot in the South African Test squad.

“I’m sure anybody would love to be part of the Test squad, but I will have to go back to four-day cricket, bide my time and hopefully score some runs there,” de Kock said.