What’s the story?
Indian opener Rohit Sharma admitted that South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was the toughest fast bowler he has faced in his career. Speaking at a gala dinner organized by Indian captain Virat Kohli’s foundation, the 30-year-old added the challenge has gotten harder since he began to open.
When host Alan Wilkins asked him about the toughest fast bowler he has faced, he said: “Dale Steyn. We've seen over the years what he has done for his country. It is always challenging to play against him. Since I've started opening it's become even more challenging. I've always enjoyed playing against him, always competitive, so I think I'd say Dale Steyn.”
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In case you didn’t know...
The Indian opener was attending a fundraiser, which was organized by captain Kohli’s foundation, along with the entire Indian team. The event saw several eminent personalities in attendance.
The heart of the matter
Dale Steyn is widely regarded as one of the best bowlers of his generation and his tally of over 400 wickets is proof of that. Even in limited-overs, the Proteas speedster has been a revelation. But the 33-year-old has never dismissed Rohit in either ODIs or T20Is while many of his compatriots including Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir and part-time bowlers like JP Duminy have done so.
In fact, the only time that the South African fast bowler has dismissed Rohit Sharma in international cricket came early in his Test career. The Boxing Day Test between India and South Africa at Durban in 2013, which India lost by 10 wickets was the only occasion that Steyn has dismissed Rohit in national colours.
What’s next?
Rohit Sharma fell agonisingly short of a well-deserved century in the victory over Pakistan in their opening game of the tournament and will be looking to go one better as India take on Sri Lanka on June 8 (Thursday).
Author’s Take
While the fact that Steyn is one of the best bowlers that the world has ever seen isn't in question. But it is surprising to see the Indian opener choose a bowler who has dismissed him just once in international cricket over the likes of his compatriot Morne Morkel, who has dismissed him on several occasions. That perhaps highlights just how good Steyn was to him, even if he didn’t dismiss him consistently.
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