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AB backs Faf’s call NOT to enforce follow-on

Cape Town - Proteas star batsman AB de Villiers has backed skipper Faf du Plessis' decision not to enforce the follow-on against Sri Lanka in the second Test.

De Villiers took to Twitter to add his opinion regarding Du Plessis' decision to bat again after the South African bowling attack destroyed the Sri Lankan batsmen on Day 2 of the second Test at Newlands.

Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander tore through the Sri Lankan batting line-up and took four wickets apiece as the islanders were bundled out for 110 in 43 overs.

Sri Lanka were 83 runs short of the 193-run target to avoid the follow-on.

Instead Du Plessis decided to bat again - leaving several South African supporters questioning his decision.

After the close of play on Tuesday, Philander defended the Proteas' decision by commenting that they were "giving the bowlers a break and wanted to set up the game with the bat".

De Villiers, who is recovering from a elbow injury, believed that imposing the follow-on could give the Sri Lankans a sniff.

De Villiers backed his captaincy successor by saying, "Interesting debate about the follow-on this morning! Why, after dominating for two days, would you give the opposition a way back in the game?"

"Du Plessis made the right call, we earned the right to bat them out the game. It's Test cricket, five days to find a way to finish on top."

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