A slew of injuries forced Dale Steyn to retire from the longest format of the game on Monday. The South African fast bowler finished with 439 Test wickets in 93 Test matches spread across one and a half decades and retires as South Africa's highest wicket-taker in Tests and eighth-highest overall.
Just how good was Dale Steyn, the Test bowler. From cleaning up Michael Vaughan to bowling South Africa to Test wins in the sub-continent and series wins in Australia, Steyn ruled red-ball cricket for 15 years. Numbers say his effectiveness was even higher than most anticipate it to be.
Read: South African legend Dale Steyn retires from Test cricket
No bowler with more than 200 Test wickets has a better strike rate than Dale Steyn. The Phalaborwa Express, as he is known, took his 439 wickets at a stunning strike rate of 42.3. He was express fast, used his outswingers to good effect with the new ball and could make the old ball reverse.
Best strike rates in Test cricket (Min 200 wickets) | ||
Player | Wickets | Strike Rate |
DW Steyn (SA) | 439 | 42.3 |
Waqar Younis (PAK) | 373 | 43.4 |
MD Marshall (WI) | 376 | 46.7 |
AA Donald (SA) | 330 | 47 |
VD Philander (SA) | 214 | 48.6 |
FS Trueman (ENG) | 307 | 49.4 |
MA Starc (AUS) | 211 | 49.9 |
J Garner (WI) | 259 | 50.8 |
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) | 431 | 50.8 |
MA Holding (WI) | 249 | 50.9 |
While Waqar Younis, Malcolm Marshall and Allan Donald has comparable strike rates in the vicinity of Steyn's incredible numbers, none of them had over 400 Test wickets. He was a standout bowler in any condition too, which separates him from the likes of Vernon Philander, Fred Trueman and Michael Holding.
In Asia, a haven for spinners and a burial ground for non-Asian pacers, Steyn stood out. From his spells in Karachi in 2007 to Ahmedabad in 2008 and Nagpur in 2010, Steyn showcased his versatility in difficult conditions. He was the highest wicket-taker among non-Asian pacers in Asian conditions and had comparable strike rates to some of the best Asian pacers in their own backyard.
Most wickets by Non-Asian pacers in Asia | |
Player | Wickets |
DW Steyn (SA) | 92 |
CA Walsh (WI) | 77 |
GD McGrath (AUS) | 72 |
MD Marshall (WI) | 71 |
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) | 68 |
JM Anderson (ENG) | 60 |
SM Pollock (SA) | 60 |
JN Gillespie (AUS) | 54 |
WW Hall (WI) | 54 |
MJ Hoggard (ENG) | 50 |
Steyn played a pivotal role in South Africa's Test wins during his long career. Despite being struck down by injuries repeatedly, Steyn kept undergoing rehabilitation to come back stronger. He overhauled Shaun Pollock's record to become South Africa's highest wicket-taker in Tests very recently.
In Test wins, Steyn had a whopping 305 wickets at a brilliant average of 16.6, the third-best in the World for seamers with at least 150 wickets.
Best bowling average for Pacers in victorious Test matches (min 150 wickets) | ||
Player | Wkts | Average |
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) | 173 | 13.06 |
Imran Khan (PAK) | 155 | 14.5 |
DW Steyn (SA) | 305 | 16.6 |
MD Marshall (WI) | 254 | 16.78 |
AA Donald (SA) | 187 | 16.79 |
CEL Ambrose (WI) | 229 | 16.86 |
FS Trueman (ENG) | 177 | 17.3 |
VD Philander (SA) | 151 | 17.62 |
Waqar Younis (PAK) | 222 | 18.2 |
DK Lillee (AUS) | 203 | 18.27 |
His all-condition capabilities, astonishing numbers and ability to step up despite career-threatening injuries makes him one of Test cricket's best ever bowlers. With 439 Test wickets at a mind-blowing average of 22.95, few can match him in terms of numbers.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Anesh Debiky
