Steyn admitted his performance during the first two Tests was shabby at best
South Africa pace demon Dale Steyn has revealed that he fired himself up before the start of the third Test against Australia at Perth by telling himself that it would be unsatisfactory if the top Test team in the world left the country with the three-Test series ending 0-0.
Steyn also admitted that his performance during the first two Tests at Brisbane and Adelaide had been well below par and added that it felt as if he had a duty to show why he was the top ranked Test bowler today.
“Why would I want to come to Australia and be below average or average?” Steyn said. “You always want to come here and take five-fors, just like as a batter you want to come here and score hundreds under immense pressure against one of the best teams in one of the most difficult places to tour in the world.”
Throughout his Test career, Steyn has averaged just under five wickets a Test match, but during the first Test at Brisbane, the best bowler in the world could only claim one wicket, while during the second Test, he got a lot closer to that average by picking up four.
Prior to the start of the third Test, Steyn said: “There is a bit more want, a bit more need and that extra push. I know I will probably have a couple days off after this and I will do everything I can to get a result and to get the wickets South Africa need in this match.”
Steyn’s hunger for wickets must have been through the roof during the third Test, as the speed demon took seven wickets, four coming in the first innings and three in the second.
Many cricket pundits agree that Steyn has always been South Africa captain Graeme Smith’s go-to man when the Proteas are in desperate need of a wicket, but the modest seamer continues to play down the praise he gets for his aggressive approach, stating that an all-round team effort that has been the major factor in South Africa’s rise to the top.
“I don’t think I am the best bowler in the world and I am not the most skilful,” he said. “I am just fortunate enough to play every game for South Africa, I bowl a lot of overs for South Africa and I am able to take wickets when we need them.”
Steyn also recalls how he told the team to encourage each other and give it their all just before the start of the third Test.
“Hopefully I can take wickets in this game,” Steyn said. “That’s what I am employed to do and that’s what I love doing. It comes down to one last game and it’s going to be a team contribution to winning this series. It’s not going to be just me standing up and taking seven or five wickets. Morne Morkel took eight in the last game. We will need a massive contribution from all of our bowlers.”
The South African pace bowler also noted that the team management need to ensure that veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis recovers from his hamstring injury before the start of the next Test series, which is at home against Pakistan.
Kallis played the third Test even though he injured his hamstring during the second and Steyn noted that it was qualities like that which made the veteran the heart and soul of the team.
“He is massive for us,” Steyn said. “Everyone can see he has been batting really well. But he can also hold up an end, he can take wickets, he is a valuable asset to this unit. An injury likes this puts a massive emphasis on what a great cricketer he really is and what a massive contribution he makes to the side. If he just misses one game, it’s massive but the day he retires, it’s going to be a whole different story.”
However, Steyn admitted that the rest of the bowling attack really pulled their socks up during the second Test, especially after Kallis had left the field to seek treatment for his injury.
“When we picked up the last five wickets in Adelaide for not many runs is pretty much how I know this attack can bowl,” Steyn added.
Steyn further mentioned that prior to the third Test, he had told his team-mates leaving the country without winning the series 1-0 would feel like a failure.
“We want to win the series,” Steyn had said. “We didn’t come down to Australia to draw. We’ve played below what we are capable of but Australia have thrown everything they can at us and they still haven’t beaten us. If we can play to what our potential is, I think we will go home 1-nil.”