Dhaka – Even the weather gods are seemingly an admirer of Dale Steyn’s athleticism, passion and consistency. After a week of heavy downpours, the sun came out gloriously yesterday to allow South Africa’s pace spearhead the time to claim his 400th Test wicket in this second Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
However, now that the milestone has been reached, the rain has returned with greater gusto here in the nation’s capital today, and appears not likely to cede any time soon. It will certainly be frustrating for the Proteas, who on the back of Steyn’s 3/30 had the hosts pushed up against a wall on 248/8 at stumps on Thursday.
Steyn was back to his glorious best on the opening day of this series-decider. A big part of Steyn’s magnificence is his ability to identify the “big moments” in a game or series and then able to deliver a noteworthy performance that influences the match positively for his team. Yesterday was once again such an occasion.
The Proteas have drifted somewhat on this tour since the first ODI victory almost a month ago now. Without Steyn, who was rediscovering his love for the game back home in Cape Town, they lost the remaining two ODI’S and even when he arrived for the first Test in Chittagong, there was still an element of rust lingering.
But here in Mirpur, Steyn’s all-important rhythm was back and there were times when it appeared as if he was floating into the crease with his feet hardly touching the ground during his run-up and follow through.
“There was a period after the IPL when I actually didn't want to have a ball in my hand. I just needed maybe two or three weeks - maybe four weeks - just to get that love back again. I said before coming here that sometimes if you don't have that love or passion for the game, things kind of don't go your way,” Steyn explained. “And then when you have got it you just don't want to let it go. I just love being on the field right now.”
And to further illustrate the champion bowler that he is, Steyn showed that despite being an 11-year veteran of 80 Tests and 402 wickets, he still has the humbleness to learn something from Bangladesh teenage seamer Mustafizur Rahman to help him improve his skills.
“There hasn't been a lot of purchase off the deck, but we saw the young left-arm quick (Mustafizur) that Bangladesh have, he's used his wrist very well and got a lot of movement off the deck. We took a note from that and realised that could be a strength of ours. If we can get a reverse we can move the ball through the air,” he explained.
Steyn’s modesty continued when he lauded the entire Proteas bowling unit for maintaining their disciplines yesterday, even the bowlers who did not gain any success. He believed it was the control they displayed in maintaining the pressure that allowed him and off-spinner JP Duminy (3/28) to strike when it mattered.
“Everybody bowled well. Vernon bowled well and Morne toiled really hard and was able to get wickets. The economy rate is going to be the main thing and patience, patience, patience, was the key,” Steyn said. “I think Bangladesh have gotten better over the years, but overall we were probably the more patient side at the end of the day and that's why our economy rate was where it was and they weren't able to get away from us. Our spare bowlers managed to maintain that pressure and bag a wicket, because the patience just kind of runs out. Then you bring the quicks back on and its bang-bang, like it was at the end. So it's all-round been a fantastic bowling effort.”
South Africa would certainly have liked to gone “bang-bang” this morning in picking up the remaining two Bangladeshi wickets, but unfortunately that will now have to wait until the weather gods decide they want to see Steyn in action once more.