Faf du Plessis on his missed double ton: ‘I will take 199’

SA batsman Faf du Plessis has admitted that he poorly executed the shot that got him out on 199 during day three of the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka in Centurion on Monday.

Du Plessis was caught by Dimuth Karunaratne at mid-on from the bowling of Wanindu Hasaranga in the afternoon session and missed out on registering his maiden double ton.

“For my dismissal‚ they brought the fielder up to mid-off and mid-on‚ so I thought I would just pop it over his head‚” he said at stumps on day three with SA in full control as Sri Lanka were struggling on 65/2 and a deficit of 160 in their second innings.

“The field was down the whole day and they brought the guys up on 99 and 199 as well. I tried to hit it — possibly it was too straight because the ball was a googly‚ but I should have probably gone with it more over mid-on.

“I feel it is a shot that I play really well when the field is up. Execution was perhaps not as I would have liked it to be.”

Du Plessis‚ who faced 276 balls during his marathon innings‚ added that he was not in a position to try to hit the ball for a six and he was motivated to get over the line for his double ton.

“I was also pretty tired at that stage and maybe the intensity of trying to make sure that I hit the ball for a six instead of just ‘fuffing’ it to mid-on, I wasn’t in the greatest position to try and hit it for a six.

“I am unfortunate because I worked extremely hard to try and get to 200. I was really motivated to try and get across that line for a double hundred.

“It is something that I have always wanted to achieve and to get so close and not get it is obviously not ideal. But in saying that‚ I felt very good on the crease today and I will take 199.”

The other big talking point of day three was Temba Bavuma‚ who walked even though his bat did not connect with the ball on its way to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps.

“Temba’s dismissal‚ I mean [there's] not much to say. He missed a shot and walked off the field. There was conviction from his side when he walked off the field and I never thought anything less than that he nicked it.

“If a batter walks like that and that quickly‚ you just assume that he nicked it.”