There was a big hoo - haa on this site - Mozart was especially hard on the youngster - and maybe we should look at the following report:-
"MANY words have been used to describe Quinton de Kock's spectacular performance in South Africa's one-day series against India. Before Wednesday, "lucky" was not among them.
To be one of only five players in ODI history to have scored centuries in three successive innings - and to do so at the age of 20 and after playing only 16 ODIs - demands more than luck.
But that didn't stop Ishant Sharma from resorting to the L-word after India were spared what looked like another thrashing when rain washed out the third one-dayer at Centurion on Wednesday when South Africa had totalled 301/8.
"He's been quite lucky," Sharma said.
"He's hit the ball between fielders, he's had some top edges and the fielders have dropped catches."
That's rich, coming from a bowler who needed 70 ODIs to claim 100 wickets. At least Sharma had the satisfaction of dismissing De Kock on Wednesday - but only after he had added an innings of 101 to the 106 and 135 he scored at Kingsmead and the Wanderers.
That's a lot of luck. What did De Kock think of Ishant's theory?
"He's telling the truth," De Kock said, straightfaced.
"I was dropped twice [on Wednesday] and I wasn't very happy with myself. I guess I have to get back into my bubble."
De Kock was dropped on 37 and 43 at Centurion. At the Wanderers, he was 21 not out when he slashed a delivery to third man, where the ball hit the ground an instant before it lodged in Mohammed Shami's hands.
And that was that as far as chance went for the 359 balls De Kock faced in the series.
He hasn't shied away from hitting the ball in the air, but the naked numbers prove he has middled it more often than not. As for ascribing part of De Kock's "luck" to the fact that he has "hit the ball between fielders", isn't that what every batsman is trying to do?
Sharma would probably have us believe he is disappointed not to be able to continue his tussle with the tyro in the Test series that starts at the Wanderers on Wednesday.
De Kock is not part of the Test squad, what with AB de Villiers and Thami Tsolekile being ahead of him in the wicketkeeping queue in the longer format.
But there is no doubt that he is on the rise as a gloveman. Acrobatic catches removed Shikhar Dhawan in Johannesburg, and MS Dhoni in Durban, and he threw himself about with abandon to snare short deliveries and wayward balls, usually successfully.
De Kock's only glaring error was when he started celebrating catching Virat Kohli off Morné Morkel at the Wanderers before he had actually caught the ball, which then spilled to earth. Kohli, two not out at the time, went on to make 31. At 20, he is still learning his craft. But he has to work on his study methods.
"I don't remember," De Kock answered when asked what advice AB de Villiers had given him during their stand of 171 at Centurion, a record for South Africa's fourth wicket in ODIs against India.
"You don't remember anything, do you?" De Villiers cracked with a smile."
Summary
There are a couple of issues here that requires further comment;
1. During the three matches De Kock gave three opportunities to be caught. It must be remembered that the one opportunity was not really on - the ball dropped to the ground before the catcher could reach it. In the last ODI he was dropped twice - bith rather difficult catches to make - but they should have been taken.
2. On the other hand it should be borne in mind that in the three ODI's de Kock faced 359 balls to make his 342 runs. To achieve that a lot of balls in ODI's need to be hit in the air to get over and past the fielders.
3 He was really lucky in the third ODI when dropped twice. Quinton's comments confirmed that "I was dropped twice [on Wednesday] and I wasn't very happy with myself. I guess I have to get back into my bubble." After that he helped greatly in getting the side to 301/8
4 He showed some wit when asked what advice AB De Villiers was giving him during the Centurion match and the grinning response was possibly because he is being taken under the wing by AB and Amla.
5 It seems advisable to get him out early - because as the commentator said - "When he gets to 50 - watch out."
6 AB thinks he has a brilliant career ahead of him - pity he is not in the test squad already.
