Strike bowler Steyn devastates India batting

NAGPUR, India, (Reuters) – 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.“We had the ball changed because the one we were using had  split open, and once it started to reverse and we got one or two  lucky dismissals, it just started a roll,” said Steyn, who is  approaching 200 wickets in test cricket.

PATIENT SEHWAG

Steyn’s awesome display overshadowed a fine innings by  Sehwag, who batted with uncharacteristic patience for his 18th  test century.

Sehwag put on 136 for the fourth wicket with Badrinath, one  of two debutants in the middle order after injures ruled out the  experienced Rahul Dravid, Vangipurappu Laxman and Yuvraj Singh  before the match.
“Before the test started, we said that reverse swing was  going to be key on these pitches,” said Steyn whose five-wicket  haul blew away India for 76 and set up a South African victory  on their previous visit two years ago.

“You’re not going to get a lot of sideways movement off the  wicket. There’s not a lot of grass on them. You’ve got to rely  on getting the ball to do something through the air. “I said before that a ball bowled at 145 kph, whether it’s in Johannesburg or Nagpur, is still 145 kms in the air. The plan was to hit the deck hard, with pace.” South Africa, who will reclaim the number one ranking if they win the series, dominated the test entirely although their preparations for the difficult tour were disrupted by the  resignation of long-serving coach Mickey Arthur.

Arthur quit and the selection committee was sacked following the drawn home test series against England.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa first innings 558-6 declared (H. Amla 253 n.o.,  J.Kallis 173, AB de Villiers 53).

India first innings (overnight 25-0)

G. Gambhir c Boucher b Morkel                                             12
V. Sehwag c Duminy b Parnell                                             109
M. Vijay b Steyn                                                                             4
S. Tendulkar c Boucher b Steyn                                               7
S. Badrinath c Prince b Steyn                                                 56
M. Dhoni c Kallis b Harris                                                           6
W. Saha b Steyn                                                                              0
H. Singh lbw b Steyn                                                                     8
Z. Khan b Steyn                                                                               2
A. Mishra b Steyn                                                                          0
I. Sharma not out                                                                           0
Extras (b-14 lb-6 w-5 nb-4)                                                    29
Total (all out; 64.4 overs)                                                     233
Fall of wickets: 1-31 2-40 3-56 4-192 5-221 6-221 7-222  8-226 9-228.
Bowling: Steyn 16.4-6-51-7, Morkel 15-4-58-1 (nb-4), Harris  17-2-39-1, Parnell 7-1-31-1 (w-5), Kallis 6-0-14-0, Duminy  3-0-20-0.

India second innings

G. Gambhir b Morkel                                                                    1
V. Sehwag c Smith b Steyn                                                      16
M. Vijay not out                                                                          27
S. Tendulkar not out                                                                  15
Extras (b-2 w-5)                                                                            7
Total (for two wickets, 23 overs)                                        66
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-24
Bowling (to date): Steyn 4-0-14-1, Morkel 6-2-21-1 (w-5),  Parnell 2-0-12-0, Harris 7-3-12-0, Kallis 4-2-5-0.