Pace leader Dale Steyn back to front
CAPE TOWN: The Newslands Stadium crowd is anyway partisan, but when Dale Steyn took the ball, they seemed to find more voice. Accompanying the roar that built up every time Steyn ran towards the bowling crease was the frantic waving of placards held up by the spectators — ‘Steyn gun’, ‘Steyn Remover’ etc. The music blaring from the PA system added to the mood welcoming a great servant of South African cricket.
Dale Steyn may have just returned from a layoff lasting more than a year, but the 34-yearold clearly looked the leader of the pack every time he was given the ball. That he would return to the wickets so quickly was not expected though. But with a tentative Shikhar Dhawan around, Steyn had reason to be hopeful. Once he had gobbled Dhawan, pushing away other fielders to take a skied catch on his follow through, Steyn looked around to acknowledge the loud approval from the crowd.
Saturday was no different. Beginning the proceedings with a very disciplined Vernon Philander from the other end, Steyn didn’t shy away from experimenting with his length. Cheteshwar Pujara scored every time Steyn strayed on to his pads, but the South African still would have been proud of his first spell of the morning – figures of 5-3-9-0 after clocking over 140kph at times.
By the time he returned for a fresh spell, the wicket had dried, and as a result, deliveries tended to quicken after pitching. Master of the delivery that moves away, Steyn exploited the conditions by improving his length. He almost got Hardik Pandya early with a delivery that jagged in but the India all-rounder got it successfully reviewed.
However, Wriddhiman Saha wasn’t so lucky with his review. Shouldering arms to Steyn is never a good idea and Saha did that to a delivery that darted in to hit back pad. Once the giant screen confirmed Saha was out, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis hugged Steyn. They knew the importance of this wicket as Pandya was left to battle without a recognised batsman at the other end.