Stupendous Steyn rocks India
8 Feb 2010
Dale Steyn put on a masterclass of fast bowling to topple India for 233 and confirm his status as the world’s premier bowler.
Day three belonged entirely to Steyn, who seemed to have supernatural control over the direction the ball would veer through the air, while the India batsman were left wishing for supernatural intervention to rescue them from the massacre.
Steyn’s extraordinary spell in the third session of play – in which he took five wickets for just three runs in five overs to finish with figures of 7-51, his first two scalps coming in the morning session when he sent Sachin Tendulkar packing with a superlative outswinger that brushed the edge of his bat, and accounted for Murali Vijay, who’ll be lamenting his decision to shoulder-arms one that tracked backed appreciably – forced India to follow on. At the close of play they were in desperate trouble at 66-2, still 259 runs behind.
Spare a thought for Virender Sehwag, who crafted a characteristically aggressive century (109 from 139 deliveries). However, outside of 136-run stand between the India opener and Subramaniam Badrinath, the hosts’ scorecard looks decidedly woeful – Gautum Gambhir the only other batter to get into double figures.
Sehwag’s departure, thanks to a careless waft at a wide Wayne Parnell delivery, signalled the outset of a dramatic capitulation – 192-4 becoming 233 all out in the space of 18 overs.
Paul Harris got a delivery to bounce fiercely out of the rough outside MS Dhoni’s leg stump and brush the India captain’s glove en route to Jacques Kallis at slip.
Cue the Steyn Show.
He had Badrinath caught at mid-wicket, before pinning back Wriddhiman Saha’s off stump with a sublime 140.7 kph reverse-swinging delivery. Zaheer Khan then fell to 141.8 kph gem, tailing in once more and catching the inside edge before smashing into the sticks.
Amit Mishra took his seat in the pavilion two overs later, this time it was a 143.9 kph rocket that again kissed the inside edge and mangled the furniture. Finally, Harbhajan Singh’s resistance ended when he was wrapped on the pads by a delivery that defied physics in its flight path – swinging from well outside off stump.
After a brief consultation with his team, captain Graeme Smith enforced the follow-on with a 325-run lead, and soon India were reeling once more.
Morné Morkel accounted for Gambhir with a ball that swung into the left-hander and rocked his off stump – Gambhir not offering a shot. Steyn wasn’t done, and profited when Sehwag flashed wildly at an unthreatening delivery, nicking off to first slip.
Tendulkar holds the key to India’s fortunes, but even the most optimistic India supporter would be reluctant to back the little master to not only wipe out the deficit (with the aid of a partner who is equally skilled and resolute), but also set the Proteas a competitive target.
Unless India stage an impossibly brilliant fight back only one result looks likely at this point.
South Africa (1st innings) – 558-6 declared
Hashim Amla 253, Jacques Kallis 173, AB de Villiers 53, Zaheer Khan 3-96.
India (1st innings) – 233
Virender Sehwag 109, Subramaniam Badrinath 56, Dale Steyn 7-51
India (2nd innings) – 66-2
Murali Vijay 27, Sachin Tendulkar 15
For full scorecard click here
India trail by 259 runs with 8 wickets remaining
By Ryan Vrede
188 Comments
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8 Feb 2010, 12:10 pm
@FireStraeuli:
Puzzling it is.
Weird to see miles and miles of empty seats.
Maybe cos they not doing too well?
8 Feb 2010, 12:12 pm
@gunther: Heck no, Who wanted us to bowl for another hour? We declared at the right time.
Good captain our Biff
8 Feb 2010, 12:12 pm
@gunther:
Biff can’t bat for an hour to save his life.
8 Feb 2010, 12:13 pm
I could do with some scrambled eggs and a rashied of bacon….
breakfast all day….
8 Feb 2010, 12:13 pm
@Dawn:
Works on my gat.
I just get up to make me a cuppa coffee and he’s out.
8 Feb 2010, 12:14 pm
I agree with the declaration, Amla simply isn’t good enough to have the highest SA individual score
8 Feb 2010, 12:15 pm
Steyn gets Sehwag!!!!!!!!!!
HE’s on eight wickets for the match!
8 Feb 2010, 12:17 pm
@rashied:
Listen
Change your nic back to quota this quota that before I launch a jihad on you.
8 Feb 2010, 12:18 pm
@Dawn: Dawn, it is test cricket and even in India it has taken a fall with the supporters. Normally it is full to the rafters there the stadiums, but think most go now to see the odi’s and the 20/20. Pity as cricket is the number one sport in India.
Anyhow we doing very well, small crowd does not matter at this stage for us. Money wise for them it will be a disappointment with the gate sales.
8 Feb 2010, 12:20 pm
@WP Till I Die: Steyn is on fire for sure. 8 wickets in this test but actually 8 wickets in one day is really awesome.
8 Feb 2010, 12:33 pm
With about an hour’s play remaining and 18 overs to be bowled, 2/3 wickets before the end of play, and we can end this tomorrow.
8 Feb 2010, 12:41 pm
8 wickets in a day, is brilliant. Let’s hope he can make it ten. I wonder if that has been done, ever.
8 Feb 2010, 13:04 pm
@nama1:
Not sure…the record for most wickets falling (both sides) in one day is 27…back in 1888.
Recently we’ve seen 20 wickets falling in one day in some Tests:
SA v India, 15 December 2006
Zimbabwe v NZ, 7 August 2005
India v Australia, 3 November 2004
Maybe that’s a starting point?
8 Feb 2010, 13:06 pm
Well done Steyn!
Valkyries silence is deafening on this blog.
Maybe he/she/it died of an OD humble pie?
8 Feb 2010, 13:10 pm
@nama1: I remember a certain black England bowler who got 9 or 10 in one innings. Not sure if it was a test or ODI.
8 Feb 2010, 13:14 pm
@nama1: Good question, especially for a swing bowler in India. Don’t think it’s been done before. He may even get more !!
8 Feb 2010, 13:15 pm
@Karoolander:
Only two people have taken 10 wickets in a Test innings, Jim Laker (Englishman, back in the fifties) and Anil Kumble.
Jim Laker took 19 wickets in the Test against Australia in 1956, so he probably holds the record – 9 for 37 in the first innings, 10 for 53 in the second…
8 Feb 2010, 13:16 pm
@Karoolander:
Are you talking about Devon Malcolm when he destroyed SA. I think he got 8.
8 Feb 2010, 13:19 pm
@nama1: Remember that twas at the Oval in Kennington.
8 Feb 2010, 13:21 pm
@nama1: Yes, that sound about right.
8 Feb 2010, 13:25 pm
@WP Till I Die:
That record will probably never fall, figures of 19/90 for the Test.
8 Feb 2010, 13:34 pm
@WP Till I Die: did you know he (laker) also got ten wickets in a warm up match for Surry against the same Aussie side that year also…
8 Feb 2010, 13:37 pm
Those of you who still want to play in the S14 superbru
The easiest way to get people in is to give them your pool code and send them to www superbru com/super14
Your pool code(s) are:
Keo’s muppits: wrenlest
8 Feb 2010, 13:50 pm
RYAN
What kind of delivery is this ………….
“reverse swinging in-ducker”
8 Feb 2010, 13:55 pm
One that I just made up now in an effort to impress you my dear. Fear not, I’ve mad the change.
8 Feb 2010, 14:05 pm
@Ryan:
Fool.
You could’ve started a new trend!
“reverse swinging in-ducker’ is nogal lekker.
8 Feb 2010, 14:22 pm
@Dawn:
its an inswinging yorker that swings the oppisite way to what you would typically expect, it happens when the ball is old…
not to be confused with the reverse wharthog….
aka the shallow pig shuffle…
8 Feb 2010, 14:25 pm
@gunther:
Isn’t a yorker a breed of dog?
8 Feb 2010, 14:28 pm
@gunther:
What about the bushpig bouncer?
8 Feb 2010, 14:30 pm
@Dawn: #126 & 128 lol….i’d love to take you out this valentine’s day
8 Feb 2010, 14:32 pm
@nama1: 89
I wrote this in 37 Against the Poms he got 11 wickets in 5 innings, that’s not bad… for a “holding bowler” now is it.
The reason why I put holding bowler in inverted commas was because that what someone else had called him…. I believe you have too.. I didnt claim anything
“You are not always right, you know”. Funny you should say that, as you always seem to think you are…
Stats is all you go on, because you dont know any better. Are you really saying that a Economy rate of 2.8 is bad? hahaha And he picked up his fair share of wickets…
Please man that you are pathetic…
Your ignorance regarding cricket is shining through. Give it up.
Never mind the fact that Harris scored 97 runs against England in 5 innings at an average of 24.3.
Compare this to Prince’s 97 runs in 7 innings at 13.8 and then you have some embarrasing stats there…
Harris, a bowler, who’s batting is a bonus and who often has to face the 2nd new ball out-performing Prince…
Hmm…
Here come the boring excuses… Not an opener blah blah blah
8 Feb 2010, 14:36 pm
@Dawn:
no its somebody from the city of york….
the bushpig bouncer should not be attempted if there is reverse swing….however if love is in the air then all well and good…
8 Feb 2010, 14:40 pm
124 Dawn
What’s wrong with a reverse swinging in ducker?
8 Feb 2010, 14:42 pm
@Ryan:
Why can’t you stop this nic changing, nic stealer. It seems to me that he has one over you guys or your service provider as far as IT is concerned. He even called somebody by his real name today (see 80) which suggest to me that he is able to hack your site. He probably already has the detail of all the bloggers on this site.
Or is there another explanation. You guys putting somebody up to it in order to generate hits.
8 Feb 2010, 14:44 pm
@WP_:
Did I say there was anything wrong with it?
Ryan is at this very moment sending it to the world’s commentators for use in the next game.
The reverse swinging in-ducker is what Ryan did over the weekend, in the early hours, when it was still dark. It was on his mind as he wrote this story.
8 Feb 2010, 14:45 pm
@nama1:
Wait! You must mail the webmaster Roy … see bottom of page.
8 Feb 2010, 14:47 pm
135 Dawn
Oh! Haha, was confused. Very interesting
8 Feb 2010, 14:49 pm
But I think Steyn did bowl a few reverse swinging in duckers
8 Feb 2010, 14:54 pm
@WP_:
blah, blah, blah.
Give it up, man. You were the first on here saying he was in the team doing a holding job.Remember our discussion around the end of Nov. last year regarding his role in the team? But this is not the first time that you deny something that you said on this forum. Shows me what kind of person you are.
If you regard his performance this season as good, then you probably don’t aim high enough.
The reason I provide you with stats everytime is because YOU want evidence. Unlike rugby where you can subjectively punt somebody, cricket has stats that you can use to prove a point. I guess stats are kak now that it proves your assertion re Harris’ season wrong.
Question to you. What do you think Harris’s answer will be if you asked him to rate his season?
8 Feb 2010, 14:54 pm
@WP_:
nothing its bowled many a maiden over….
8 Feb 2010, 14:59 pm
@Karoolander: Ja , it was Devon Malcolm. Vinnige Fanie bounced him on the scone and he got the moer in. In our second innings he went through us like a dose of salts. An excellent example of controlled aggression.
8 Feb 2010, 15:04 pm
Harris has had a solid season.
Contrary to popular belief he’s has been good.
Perhaps I said too that he was a holding bowler. I forget… No big deal, he’s be doing a good job and deserves his place in the team. Standards are too low? Certainly not Mr. “I cant even hold a cricket bat but I’m the most knowledgeable cricket blogger on here and I’m never wrong” (I’ve given you a new nick now NAMA)
He’s been better with the bat than Prince plus he’s got 12 wickets in 5 innings. I’d say pretty good!
8 Feb 2010, 15:08 pm
140 gunther
haha, I’m sure!
8 Feb 2010, 15:15 pm
harro is not setting the world alight, what saved him in this series is jp’s bowling…harro would have lost out to botha but that would have given the proteas two offies… the selectors wanted variety, which harro gives….mind you if he doesn’t do a decent job here then he is a gonner…sa will look to grow duminy into the spinners role and look for another seamer….
8 Feb 2010, 15:20 pm
Fair enough, if he doesnt perform or get wickets he will and should be gone, as it should be with EVERYONE
8 Feb 2010, 15:47 pm
@WP_:
well thats how it was for Ntini?
its how it should be for everybody…
I sense alviro’s time is near…
8 Feb 2010, 16:01 pm
WP Exept for JP of course He is going to be a great one day
8 Feb 2010, 16:13 pm
I am sorry guys, but some of your comments just shows a lack of understand for test cricket in general – take the Paul Harris debate for instance; the guy is a good bowler with one of the best averages of a South African test spinner, he is however slightly down on his confidence after the English batsmen came after him and subsequently he is bowling slightly fuller and slightly faster through the air – a great tactic to keep the runs down, but a horrible tactic if you want to take wickets. His challenge will now be to get through this bad patch and start bowling more attacking deliveries again – which he already did today.
Like any cricket who goes slightly off the boil, he needs some time to get his form and confidence back. If he doesn’t get it back in a reasonable time, but all means drop him, but to do so after one mediocre series would be foolish and unfair.
Now, you do not need to agree with me – but both the fired and re-appointed selection panels do… so if you don’t you may wish to get to know the game slightly beter before you shoot your mouth off again.
As for the comments above that Harris needs to be replaced by another seamer, you probably do not remember four years ago when we languished in 5th or 6th spot in the ICC rankings…mostly due to the fact that we did not have enough variation in our bowling attack.
8 Feb 2010, 16:15 pm
@Kerneels: sheesh, sorry for the typos…
8 Feb 2010, 16:34 pm
148 Kerneels
Thank you!
Here is someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS a little bit about cricket AND what they are talking about.
Not some know-it-all stats monger.
Wow what a relief.
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