Dale Steyn believes South Africa are the underdogs against India in T20 & ODI cricket
South Africa’s Dale Steyn believes his side are the underdogs against India in the T20 and ODI format, CricketCountry reports. The 32-year-old rates the Proteas as the stronger side in the Test format however and also believes the long tour can be a career-decider for many players from both sides.
The fast bowler, who has been rested for the T20 leg of the tour, feels both the sides have a good mix of experienced and youngsters within their ranks but feels that the hosts are considerably stronger playing under home conditions. He doesn’t consider it to be a negative factor though as he expects the South African side to play with much less pressure because of the same.
“There are similarities in the two teams with half-a-dozen senior, established players providing the core of the squad and some new faces keen to establish themselves on the international stage. Obviously there’s no such thing as pressure in a team which is captained by MS Dhoni, but the weight of expectation will certainly be heavier on the home side than us when we start the series,” Steyn said.
Despite Steyn’s assessment, it was South Africa who won the T20 series opener at Dharamsala on Friday, thanks to a 34-ball 68 by JP Duminy that helped the visitor’s chase down India’s total of 199 with two balls to spare.
The South African is in no doubt however as to who the best team is when it comes to the longer format of the game. The Proteas have not lost an away series since 2006, a fact Steyn was happy to remind everyone about and said that his side will go all out to ensure that the record is extended.
“In the Tests, we have one of the proudest records in the history of the game to defend. The Proteas are unbeaten in our last 14 away series since 2006, the second-longest unbeaten away sequence after the great West Indies team of the 1970s and 80s, which toured 17 times without being beaten. Hashim Amla, however, is adamant that as captain of the Test team we would be asking for trouble if we tried to `defend’ that record. If you try and avoid defeat in Tests, you are missing the point of the game. We will play attacking cricket,” Steyn said.
Steyn acknowledged that the tour to India which lasts more than two months will be mentally and physically taxing for the visitors but believes it won’t be hard for the Indians either.
“I can’t help thinking that careers will be shaped and perhaps even made or broken during the course of the next two months, and I mean on both sides,” Steyn said.