When JP Duminy was at the crease on Friday afternoon here he shone like the gold this bustling African metropolis was built from.
His balance was exquisite, feet moved purposefully. He was positive but avoided recklessness, and played the short ball with authority.
This was Duminy at his most alluring. It was the class that former South African great Peter Kirsten, who was a teenage prodigy himself, had seen back in 2001 when he plucked a scrawny little left-hander from the school benches of Plumstead High for a first-class debut against a virtual Test-strength Zimbabwe side.
And that was the strong Zimbabwean team of the early millennium and not the sorry lot they have dissipated into now.
Unfortunately for Duminy, it has only been a fleeting sight at Test grounds around the world for the last decade. Memories were made at the MCG in 2008 with a few more splattered around in Wellington, Port Elizabeth, Galle, Perth and now at “The Bullring”.
But the consistency that separates “the greats” from the rest is what has eluded Duminy throughout his international career. It is only over the past six months, which has coincided with a move to the coveted No 4 spot in the absence of the injured AB de Villiers that Duminy has begun to string together the sort of scores that his talent has always promised.
“My approach has been from the beginning of the season, what would be my average at the end of my career. That has been my main focus. There has been a lot of inconsistency in the first 30 Tests I have played. I have batted in various conditions, and here is an opportunity to try and solidify a spot at No4. I’m trying not to focus too much on the past. I’m trying to see what I end up on from six months ago to the end,” Duminy said after stroking a glorious 155 that set up South Africa’s first innings in this final Test.
“Throughout this season my attitude has been to try and be as positive as possible in my body language and approach and mindset to the game. “I came into this season with a more positive mindset, looking to score runs rather than trying to survive. When there are a lot of nerves you try and survive periods, but I’ve gone the opposite route by trying to be more expansive in my body language and approach.”
At 32, and even with the distractions of T20 leagues around the world, there is still time for Duminy to get his Test average up to where it more accurately reflects his ability.
He’s admitted to doing work with Proteas batting coach Neil McKenzie over the winter on some “technical things”, but with Duminy the real battle has always been “between the ears”.
Early in his career every dismissal seemed to be the end of his world. There was almost a desperate sense to do well that negatively impacted on his performances. And after every failure the self-imposed pressure only seemed to increase with Duminy often looking like he was carrying a hefty load on his slight shoulders. He did not resemble that batsman on Friday when he played with a great sense of freedom and expression. This positive frame of mind stems from Duminy maturing not only on the field, but also away from it.
A proudly married man - just keep a close eye on his social networks - and also father of two-year-old Isabella, who amazingly has almost 70 flights to her credit already - has brought a sense of calmness to Duminy’s life. Success and failure out in the middle no longer defines the former Strandfontein resident, but instead forms part of a broader outlook on life.
“The pressure has mainly been from myself and it’s purely based on the fact that I have high expectations of myself. But your priorities change as you get older and cricket is probably not my first priority, but it’s an important one.
But it seems that after a decade of selflessness, Duminy is finally singing to the tune of American rapper Sisqo and recording artist Mya that It’s All About Me. It seems to be working for him and the Proteas. And long may it continue.