New Delhi: Other teams had already experienced AB de Villiers's brutality with the bat first hand, but on October 25 last year, India found themselves scurrying for covers when one of their most beloved foreigners decided to have some fun at Mumbai's historic Wankhede Stadium.


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With the five-match series balanced at 2-2, the decider in Mumbai was expected to be a keen contest, but blistering batting display from the Proteas on a batting paradise meant that India ended up second best.


Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis provided a brilliant platform for AB to exploit the conditions with a 154-run stand for second wicket. After de Kock's departure, AB joined Faf to post an unbeaten 164-runs stand for the next wicket. All three batsmen scored centuries.


But, that's half the story.



Known for his abilities to destroy any bowling attack, de Villiers toyed with Indian bowlers even as a packed Wankhede Stadium crowd chanted "ABD, ABD, ABD..." His 119 runs came off 61 balls, which included 11 sixes and three fours, at an strike rate of over 195.


Proteas set India a 439-run target, and then returned to bowl out MS Dhoni & Co for 224, for a 214-run win. South Africa thus win their first bilateral series in India, while India suffered their worst at home and second-worst defeat in history, in terms of runs.



The same year, before coming to India, he scored both the fastest ODI fifty and hundred off 16 and 31 balls respectively, against West Indies in January.