Quote Originally Posted by chrisp_1927 View Post
At Amlas age and with what he has done in his career that is tremendous. To still have that desire to dig in and save a game. That was always what set him and devilliers apart from the rest of the modern batsman for me. Average wise they were as good as anyone, they can be as destructive and pleasing on the eye as anyone. They also both have an amazing capacity to dig in and switch the shots off when the game situation demands that approach, an increasingly rare ability in the modern game.
I was thinking exactly the same as you put in your first sentence. I’d say DeVilliers is the most naturally talented batsmen of the twenty first century, while I can remember seeing Amla in his first few tests and thinking he had no chance - it’s a tribute to his attitude and dedication that he became a really good test player.