Dale Steyn Cements Status as All-time Great in Tests

Dale Steyn has been the spearhead of the South African pace attack for the most part of his illustrious career. He was at the peak of his bowling prowess between 2007 and 2016 where he aggregated 385 wickets in just 76 Tests (second only to Anderson who picked 424 wickets but in 107 Tests).

Dale Steyn’s  average of 21.17 and strike rate of 40.5 during this period was the best for any bowler in the world (min. 80 wickets).

Dale Steyn’s dominance in these 10 years can be seen in the numbers he notched in this period – in eight of these 10 years he had an average of less than 22 and in six of them a strike rate of less than 40 – these are phenomenal numbers!

It is not surprising then that South Africa have the best win-loss ratio (2.238) and winning percentage (52.22 %) in the world in this period.

Dale Steyn’s performance with the ball is directly related to South Africa’s impeccable record away from home between October 2007 and July 2015. They were unbeaten away from home in 14 series (two or more matches) in this period. He was the highest wicket-taker in 7 of these

Dale Steyn picked up six (or more) wickets in a match for the 38th time in his illustrious Test career even as South Africa went down to Sri Lanka by one-wicket courtesy a great unbeaten 153 by Kusal Perera in the first Test in Durban Feb 13 -16,2019


Dale Steyn finished with match-figures of 38 overs, 8 maidens, 119 runs and 6 wickets


During the course of the match, he went past Kapil Dev and Stuart Broad to become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history..

Dale Steyn now aggregates 439 wickets in 92 Tests and is the fourth-highest wicket taker amongst pace bowlers only after James Anderson (575 wickets), Glenn McGrath (563) and Courtney Walsh (519).

Dale Steyn had become South Africa’s highest Test wicket taker, eclipsing the previous record set by Shaun Pollock with 421 wickets. Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman became Steyn’s 422nd scalp during the first day of the first Test at Centurion on Boxing Day 2018 against Pakistan. The bowler had previously equaled Pollock’s record in July last year against Sri Lanka in Galle.