Dale Steyn Praises South Africa’s Rare Control vs India

Dale Steyn, the former fast-bowling legend, has been watching South Africa’s strong showing in the second Test in Guwahati. He spoke on JioStar and said it's not often you see a visiting team lead for three straight days in a Test match in India. South Africa is in control, and Steyn thinks their success comes from clever tactics and playing well.

On the third day at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, South Africa dismissed India for 201, securing a big first-innings lead of 288 runs. Marco Jansen was the star, taking six wickets and tearing through India’s batting order. Steyn praised Jansen’s showing, saying South Africa’s strategy and how they carried it out were fantastic with both the ball and the bat. He mentioned that winning the toss and electing to bat first was a key move, allowing the visitors to lay the groundwork to dominate the match totally.

At the end of the day, Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram put on 26 runs, bringing the lead to 314. Steyn noted that South Africa kept their cool and played well, even with a few shaky moments against Jasprit Bumrah early on. He also brought up that Bumrah's high workload could be a problem for India, as their key bowler has already bowled over 30 tiring overs and been on the field for almost 150 overs. This puts more pressure on the rest of the Indian bowlers.

Steyn backed South Africa's choice not to make India bat again right away. He said that by batting again, South Africa could keep their spirits up, add more runs, and make the most of the better batting conditions, all while keeping the pressure on India. In his view, batting on instead of forcing the issue was a smart move that gave South Africa a chance to extend their control as they headed into the fourth day.

After winning the first Test in Kolkata, South Africa is close to their first Test series win in India since 2000, when Hansie Cronje was captain. Steyn said that it's rare to dominate for three days straight in India, which makes this showing especially impressive in Test cricket history.

South Africa is in control as the match continues, putting them in a great spot to win the game and the series. India has a tough road ahead in the coming sessions, as they fight against the score, tiredness, and a pitch that will probably get worse. Steyn's words show just how big South Africa’s performance has been and how important this moment is in their Test cricket history.