De Kock "pumped up" after fourth Test hundred

Quinton de Kock made his first Test hundred since January 2017 on the third day of the third Test against Pakistan in Johannesburg to help South Africa set a sizable target for the visitors to chase in the final innings of the match. De Kock helped to put on 108 runs for the final for wickets, and he feels that could end up being vital for his team.

"It was quite important, the last couple of partnerships at the end,” De Kock said. “By the looks of it, we needed those extra runs at the end there because the wicket is playing quite nicely.

"Those two play a big role, especially KG [Kagiso Rabada]. He came in and gave me confidence and said to me that he'll be here for me until the end, which he did and batted superbly. Vernon [Philander] got a good nut, which was unfortunate, but when KG came in he gave me confidence.

"KG is a flippen' good batsman. He's got a good technique. He's going to score runs for the team, especially when we need it most. He puts a bit of pressure on the bowlers, because he's not scared to play his shots, but he plays good cricket shots, which is the key for him," de Kock added.

"He looks like a good batsman, and one day he could be higher up in the order going forward. He has a few things to work on, but he definitely has the potential to be a top batsman."

While De Kock was batting with Rabada he was stuck on 99 and struggling to get to the elusive landmark that he had been waiting two years to reach. He drove the ball hard down the ground and it looked as if that 100th run was in the bag. Instead it hammered into Rabada’s foot and he was made to wait a little longer to get to his century.

"I was actually angry," De Kock said with a smile on his face. "I was feeling a bit of pressure, some heat, and some eagerness to get to the landmark and get it over and done with. And then his foot got into the way. But it's all right, I got it in the end. I could have killed him. But it's all right."

De Kock’s relief and excitement when he reached his fourth Test century, going on to make 129, and he explained that it was an emotional moment for him.

"I was a little bit pumped up when I scored the hundred. I haven't scored one in quite a while, so it's nice to finally get those three figures behind my name once again. It's always frustrating when you're trying to do your best for the team, and you never quite get what you want out of it. It was quite frustrating, and that's why I was a little pumped up today."