Dale Steyn upset at being booed off the field by home crowd at Johannesburg

South Africa’s batsman Dale Steyn (L) leaves the pitch along with India’s cricket team on the fifth and final day of the cricket Test match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg on December 22, 2013. The match resulted in a draw.

Needing 16 runs in the last three overs with three wickets in hand to complete what could have been the most successful run chase ever in the history of Test cricket, South Africa decided to shut shop on the chase and settle for a draw, eventually falling eight runs short of the set target of 458 in the first Test match against India at Johannesburg.

Graeme Smith revealed that the decision was left to Dale Steyn to decide what would be good for the team and placed the responsibilities squarely on the 31-year-old pacer.

The crowd gathered at the Wanderers, infuriated at the decision of their home team, booed Steyn and Vernon Philander off the field. This action of the home supporters seemed to have upset Steyn.

Speaking to Cricinfo, AB de Villiers revealed: “Dale [Steyn] was really upset, he struggled to handle it. It really took Graeme [Smith] and a few guys to help him handle it immediately, because of the crowds, the booing and everyone criticising him and Vernon [Philander]. They took a lot of strain and it was up to the team to pull through that but it was really tough.”

Morne Morkel’s freak injury, the inability of Imran Tahir with the bat and the bowling tactics employed by Mohammad Shami seemed to have played a role in Steyn’s mind before arriving at the decision.