Dale Steyn rocks India with reverse swing

NAGPUR – South African Dale Steyn confirmed his status as the world’s premier quick bowler with a career best seven for 51 on the third day of the first test against India yesterday.

Steyn took five wickets for just three runs in a post-tea display of top-class reverse swing after dismissing Murali Vijay for four and Sachin Tendulkar for seven with conventional swing bowling early in the first innings. He then took his eighth wicket of the match when he dismissed Sehwag for 16 after India had followed on to leave the hosts at 66 for two at the close with Vijay (27) and Tendulkar (15) at the crease.
India, the world’s number one side, were left struggling to save the match, still 259 runs behind South Africa’s imposing first innings 558 for six declared, in the two-test series between the world’s two top sides.
The 26-year-old Steyn attributed his magical spell to the change of ball just before tea and a chat with interim coach Corrie van Zyl at the break.
‘Corrie sat us down at tea and said that the session after lunch wasn’t good enough. We didn’t get the wickets that we wanted,’ Steyn told reporters after recording his 13th five-wicket test haul.
Steyn fired out Subramaniam Badrinath (56), debutant Wriddhiman Saha (0), Zaheer Khan (2) Amit Mishra (0) and Harbhajan Singh for eight in a master-class display as India lost their last six wickets for the addition of just 12 runs. – Nampa-Reuters

---