I Always Relished The Environment Of Playing Cricket In India: Dale Steyn

More than a year after playing his last game for South Africa, Dale Steyn’s deadly spells in Test cricket are always remembered. Dale Steyn has retired from the longest format of the game and might not don the national colours again; however, he is amongst the most respected cricketers in India. And the veteran also revealed to cherish the environment of playing in India.

Not many cricketers, especially fast bowlers, have managed to excel in India. But Steyn thrived in the sub-continent nation due to his relentless pace and the ability to generate reverse-swing with the old ball. The 38-year old picked up 26 wickets in six matches at 21.38, with a couple of fifers and ten-wicket hauls in India, keeping an impressive strike rate of 37.10.

Dale Steyn impressed during South Africa’s tour of India in early 2010 when he bowled an outstanding spell in Nagpur in the first Test to fire the tourists to victory. The right-arm speedster had figures of 16.4-6-51-7 and took another three in the second innings as South Africa won by an innings and six runs. He finished with figures of 34.5-7-108-10 and the series with 11 wickets. He retired from Test cricket in 2019, with 439 under his belt, Proteas’ highest wicket-taker in the format.

I actually loved it: Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn revealed that he loves playing in India and is not unfazed by the heat as his birthplace of Phalaborwa comprises of the same conditions. Hence, it’s not new to him; however, the 38-year old highlighted that Chennai was hot and humid as it used to feel sweaty. But Steyn encouraged himself not to be bothered by those factors and in general, loved the environment of cricket in India.

“I actually loved it. Growing up in a place like Phalaborwa, I mentioned it before is one of the hottest places in South Africa. So, heat is not new to me, I’m used to it, the very dry heat. However, going to a place like Chennai is a different kind of heat. It’s hot and it’s humid, you are sweating. But there was this thing in me, ‘you gotta get on with it, don’t let it bother you’. So, I always relished the environment of playing cricket in India,” Steyn told Sanjay Manjrekar on ESPN Cricinfo.

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