By: Tarish Bhatt
“What separates him from the rest is his competitive edge. He has hunger.”
It is very easy to relate with this quote of South Africa legend Alan Donald, if anyone has seen Dale Steyn bowl. The way he approaches the crease, stares at the batsman and moreover bowl with venom, is an absolute delight.
There are a very few places where Dale Steyn has struggled, India being one of those, but it does not take away the fact how good he is. The Proteas speedster has completed 400 Test wickets recently against Bangladesh, and he is now unarguably among the best.
Steyn has everything with him – speed, skill and hunger – and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he manages to reach the magical mark of 500 Test wickets. Seeing the kind of bowler he is, it is just a matter of time, when he would be celebrating another milestone.
“When you are aggressive and competitive, you can do that,” Alan Donald said “He gets himself into that state. It comes naturally to him, it is not an act. When those guys go large, you have to watch out.”
Dale Steyn is the joint second fastest to have reached the mark of 400 Test wickets, as he has equalled the record of Sir Richard Hadlee, who also achieved the feat in 80 Test matches.
The reason why Steyn belongs to a different league altogether is the way he has achieved the record. Steyn has taken 400 Test wickets in 16634 balls, making him the only bowler to have reached the landmark in less than 20000 balls.
When Shaun Pollock hung his boots and Makhaya Ntini was way past his peak, it was Dale Steyn, who filled the void. It is not easy to replace someone like Pollock, who was South Africa mainstay for quite a long time, but Steyn did manage to do it.
Steyn led South Africa bowling, after the Proteas lost their bests, and made a potent pair with Morne Morkel and others. He showed the way to other pacers in the squad and made South Africa a fearsome squad in all formats of the game.
It was not all bed of roses for Steyn, as he had a forgettable World Cup 2015, as he could only manage to take 11 wickets in eight games. His outing in the semifinal against New Zealand was the new low, as he conceded 76 runs and managed to take just one wicket.
But, Dale Steyn is not done yet. He still has the fire in him, with plenty of international cricket left. South Africa need to manage him well, and with the quality support staff knows it.
“We have to understand that after a period of rest, you need some time to get back to full swing,” Donald explained. “But Dale is fighting his way back. Top sportsmen always find a way and he will too. He has a lot left.”
