De Villiers backs Steyn, Philander's decision to go for draw in first Test against India

Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn made the right call to bat out the final overs of the epic first Test match against India in Johannesburg, Proteas batsman AB de Villiers insisted on Monday, according to reports.

According to Sport24, the pair resisted any temptation to break the world record target of 458 in a fourth innings to win the game, and instead blocked out the final 3.1 overs to collect just eight of the 16 runs required for victory.

De Villiers said that a lot of people were blaming Steyn and Philander for not going for it at the end, but he honestly believes that nine, ten and eleven should never be going for the runs.

De Villiers revealed that Steyn, particularly, was almost inconsolable when he trudged off the Wanderers field to the ringing of boos from around the stadium, the report said.

The second Test starts in Durban on Thursday and South Africa's one-day captain felt they had gained a lot from the draw in what is a two-match series, the report added.