3 times Dale Steyn showed he is the best pacer in the world
Arguably the best bowler of his time, Dale Steyn has called time on his Test career. Steyn, who terrorized all batsmen with his wonderful fast bowling skills, will now focus solely on ODIs and T20s.
Steyn’s bowling was perhaps best suited to Test cricket. He had the ability to swing the ball both ways, and that too at express pace. His lethal out-swingers and his trademark chainsaw celebrations were a source of joy for fans all around the world.
Steyn leaves a big void to fill for the Proteas, who have a young seam attack at present.
He is the only bowler to have a five-wicket haul against all nine Test-playing nations. Steyn finished as the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in Tests with 439 wickets from 93 Test matches. He is also 8th in the all-time wicket takers' list in Test cricket, with 26 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket hauls to his name.
Here, let us look at three of his best bowling performances in Test cricket.
#1 7/51 against India at Nagpur in 2010
Steyn was a bowler for all conditions. Not only did he torment batsmen in England, Australia and South Africa, he was equally effective in the sub-continent as well. He was particularly devastating in India, troubling the Indian batsmen with his reverse swing.
In the first Test of the two-match series against India at Nagpur in 2010, Steyn wreaked havoc.
He first set up Murali Vijay, who shouldered arms to an in-swinger only to hear the stumps rattle. Next to go was India’s maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who was left bamboozled by a late out-swinger which he could only edge behind to the wicketkeeper.
Steyn then returned to wrap up the tail in devastating fashion, picking up the last 5 wickets to fall.
He eventually finished with figures of 7/51, which were very impressive for a fast bowler in the sub-continent. Steyn’s Herculean effort also brought in high praise from Indian captain MS Dhoni who said, “He was the best I have seen in the last two years at least as far as conventional bowling goes.”