It is always special for a fast bowler to come back home with the match-ball, and you are only awarded the match ball when you claim a fiver in the game. In a video posted by ESPN Cricinfo, Dale Steyn was shown picking up his most commemorative match balls and show it to the world that where would he go on to pull off the brilliant effort.
In the video, he showed two match balls, on top of which India’s name was written and the venues were mentioned at Nagpur and World Cup. Dale Steyn was one of the most menacing fast bowlers in his heydays and wreaked significant havoc across the face of the globe with his brutal brand of pace and swing.
The first match that Steyn mentioned happened at Nagpur in 2010 when India’s batting came unglued due to a thumping display from Dale Steyn. South Africa piled a monumental 558 in the first innings, thanks to a brilliant 253 from Hashim Amla and a rollicking 173 from Jacques Kallis.
Steyn ran riot with the ball in his hand as he claimed the important scalps of Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Subramaniam Badrinath, Wriddhimaan Saha, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra. He also went onto claim another three wickets in the second innings and India lost the match by an innings and 6 runs.
Dale Steyn and his most important fifer in the World Cup
The 2011 World Cup saw India crumbling down like dust against South Africa from a position that promised another 350. India was comfortably settled at 267 for the loss of 1 when the avalanche happened. India lost their next 9 wickets in a span of 29 runs, a collapse that is humiliating in its own capacity.
Steyn started his exploits with Gautam Gambhir and soon multiplied his efforts to get the better of Yusuf Pathan. He pulled off a heroic late dance as he claimed the triptych of Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel, leaving India reduced to 296.
After a stiff tussle with the Indian bowlers, Robin Peterson’s late drama allowed South Africa to beat the eventual champions of the tournament, India.
Dale Steyn’s figures are as fine as they can get with 439 Test wickets, 196 ODI wickets and 64 T20I wickets. He has managed to claim 26 fivers in Test cricket and 3 fivers in the shorter format of the game, one of which came against India.
WOW!
AdvertisementDale Steyn shows his collection of souvenir fifer balls 🔥
(via dalesteyn/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/E119HduZE0
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 25, 2020
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