Protean Speed Guns - The South African X Factor

Dale Steyn

Test cricket is moving towards oblivion or may be even extinction. It is losing that gripping lustre it possessed for so long. Well, that is not to state that there is a dearth of talented, top-notch cricketers around the world. Why I say so is because the level of competitiveness has taken a colossal beating in recent times. We are at a stage where most, if not all, sides are dominating in familiar conditions at home and getting drubbed abroad.

It has become a trend for hosting nations to prepare decks to suit their interests. Team India claimed the No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings solely by sweeping every team that came in its way on sub-continental dust bowls. Then it was time for the Englishmen to climb to the top in the very same manner – plundering the visitors in the home soil. In spite of succumbing to Pakistan in the UAE, they managed to cling on its No.1 ranking.

The Proteas, meanwhile, reached within touching distance of England. But, for a change, the Saffers snatched the numero uno status by subjugating the England cricket team, 2-0, in their own backyard. Since then, there has been no looking back. The team has continually won or at least drawn both home and away.

Having clean swept New Zealand 2-0 and Pakistan 3-0, the South African side have been invincible at home. Most recently, they earned a gritty 1-0 win over the Indians. They have been outstanding as a touring party as well; they have outdone England (as mentioned above) and Australia while leveling the series against Pakistan in the UAE.

Of late, all the Test sides have been consistently inconsistent owing to their lack of application in alien conditions with South Africa being the lone aberration. The chief driving force behind their amazing consistency has been their lethal pace bowling attack. This is not to take away any credit from their batting unit.

Led ably by the best in the business, Dale Steyn, and well assisted by Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, they have got all the basis covered. Dismissing New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan for scores under 50 speaks volumes about the potency of the attack. The South African pace-trio is undisputedly the best in the world. Every Test team in the world fears touring South Africa or even inviting them, for that matter.

Dale Steyn:

The first thing thing that catches your attention when you look at Dale Steyn is his fitness. This World No.2 pacer sprints through his run-up with defiance and purpose. His ability to swing the little red cherry at breakneck speeds leaves the batsmen simply staggered. No wonder why he averages 22.90 in Test cricket which includes 22 fifers.

He swings it only one way – away from the right handers – but the point to note is the amount of swing and obviously, the pace at which he does so. He loves to bowl in short bursts so that he doesn’t have to compromise on pace, in particular. The fact that Steyn has tasted fair share of success in placid sub-continental wickets reveals his mastery over the art of reverse-swing too. Morever, he runs through the tail-enders which denies the opposition of some handy runs down the order. While he has all the talent in the world, the most flattering thing about Steyn is his accuracy and the ability to hit the full length all the time; it is compounded well with a barrage of well directed bouncers around the middle and leg stump.

His attitude stands out as well. A batsman is expected to have the hunger for runs every time he walks out to the middle. Similarly, a bowler is expected to be hungry for wickets every time he has a ball in hand. The modern day seamers do get on the back-foot when they see the batsman attacking and take up the containment role. However, Steyn’s the best in the world for a reason. When ripped apart, he’s looks to counter attack.

He doesn’t mind being involved in verbal exchanges given he blossoms even more when presented with such challenges which just goes to show his mental toughness. All in all, he’s a complete package – a bowler who could make it to any Test side of the world.

Vernon Philander:

Vernon Philander’s rise to the top has been nothing short of sensational; he has notched up 105 wickets in 20 games at an unbelievable average of 18. He symbolifies the importance of sticking to the copybook basics. Technically speaking, Philander has got a flawless action – coming close to the stumps and bowling the identical line and length time and again. He bowls around that in-between length making it harder for the batsman to get away.

Philander makes the ball swing both ways which makes him even more deadly. The better batsmen of the world read the direction of swing from the wrist position of the bowler. Well, Philander’s too street-smart for that. He offers few clues with his wrist postion. Despite bowling with a scrambled seam, he manages to do what he does using the thrust his wrist provides. Moreover, the batsman is compelled to play him as the ball is released from so close to the stumps mistaking it to be coming straight.

The swing, in his case, is more or less off the deck, and hence, we are talking about ‘late swing’ which makes him all the more difficult to face. He doesn’t have the 140 km/h pace; not that it bothers him as he does his job efficiently within the speed limitations. He bowls to take wickets. It’s as simple as that. His dismissals occur as the batsman facing him is caught in two minds, and that triggers the outside edge. He requires assistance from the pitch and when provided, can do what his captain expects him to.

Morne Morkel:Morne Morkel is the other experienced campaigner, apart from Steyn, in the Saffers’ bowling unit. This tall, lanky speedster’s stature is enough to fear the best of bats. He doesn’t pick up buckets of wickets as Steyn does, but he does his job effectively enough. He relies on seam movement off the deck and unsurprisingly, on bounce as well. On a typical Wanderers wicket, he can be menacing.

The uneven bounce that he is capable of extracting at around 145 km/h makes him even more potent. More often than not, he deceives the batsmen with his length which is hard to gauge given the high release position. He is fully aware of his innate ability to bounce the batsmen out and doesn’t use it as a negative or defensive tactic. He can bowl the occasional fuller ones to catch the batsman, expecting short-stuff, off-guard. He picks up a wicket for almost every 30 runs he concedes which doesn’t make for a bad reading, by any standards.

The trio has done wonderfully well for over a period of three years now. They have done so by avoiding any sort of major injury for so long. Credit must go to the South African selectors and the team management for having managed the trio smartly. They are my favourites and am sure it’s not just me who admires their talent but millions of them around the world.