Dale Steyn shines with both bat and ball in his comeback match
South African speedster Dale Steyn has returned to ODIs after nearly two years. Steyn gun went all guns blazing in his comeback match against Zimbabwe. Steyn shined in both the aspects of the game.
The veteran arrived at the crease when the scoreboard read 101-7. Steyn joined hands with Andile Phehlukwayo to keep the scoreboard ticking; the duo stitched a crucial partnership of 75 runs to help South Africa's way to a respectable total.
Initially, he got a lucky few times, but once his eyes were set, he scythed through the Zimbabwe bowling attack playing his career-best knock of 60 runs to barge down the South African innings close to the 200-run mark at 198.
One of the most fearsome bowlers of the generation was brisk in his bowling and scalped a couple of wickets to set the tone for the Proteas. On a pitch which had a few cracks with some green grass on the top, no batsman in the world would like to face the menace of Steyn. He hit the deck hard constantly at speeds ticking over ninety miles per hour, and the pitch did the rest of the talking.
Steyn looked as lethal as he was back then in his glory days as the Zimbabwean batsmen Solomon Mire and Craig Ervine would succumb to the bounce and pace of his bowling. Followed by the pacer's exploits, the leggie Imran Tahir picked up a six-fer including a hattrick to bundle Zimbabwe for a meagre score of 78. The Proteas won the second ODI by 120 runs to seal the series leading by 2-0.
Return of the experienced pacer before the World Cup is a bliss for South African cricket. South Africa's World Cup ambitions were dealt with a massive blow after the retirement of ace batsman AB De Villiers.
De Villiers was the x-factor in the South African team and left behind an unfillable void. With senior players like AB and Morne Morkel gone, the comeback of Dale Steyn will mean a lot for their World Cup campaign. Presence of Steyn will bring the intensity which has been lacking in the Proteas dressing team.