Dale Steyn out of India’s tour of South Africa. 3 reasons India may have bagged the series already

Dale Steyn injured himself in the first Test on Day 2. Will this hamper South Africa's chances of taking the series home?

By: Ankit Banerjee |
January 7, 2018 12:23 pm

Dale Steyn 2.0 may not be as effective as Dale Steyn 1.0 but he showed he still has a knack of picking wickets when he made his comeback against India at Newlands after being away for 13 months due to a shoulder surgery. But as fate may have it, he bowled just 18 overs before he injured himself again; this time on the heel. By then he had already picked up two important wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Wriddhiman Saha. Steyn, it has been confirmed has damaged a tissue and will have to sit out for 6 weeks. This is a massive setback for South Africa, who were relying heavily on the old warhorse.

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So how will Dale Steyn’s absence help the visitors, India?

VIDEO: Indian fans light up Cape Town

From Kolkata to Newlands – Say hello to this Indian group that is getting into the mix on the grass banks in South Africa – by @28anand https://t.co/cntIMroVit #FreedomSeries #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/TfOBxy9xif

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 5, 2018

The pace-quartet has broken:
Before the series got underway, there was a lot of talk about the pace-quartet of South Africa (Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel) tearing apart the Indian batting line-up. But with Steyn now having to sit out, it must have acted as a big setback to their chances as he is the most experienced in that pack of pacers.

Cameraman Oscar – The story behind his suit – by @28anand

Dressed in a formal suit, cameraman Oscar’s presence during a Test match in South Africa is hard to miss. But what is the secret behind his smart attire? Watch the full video on https://t.co/CPALMGgLOj pic.twitter.com/GlRFUjpYCs

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2018

The scare will fizzle:
All the four pacers are fast and dangerous but Dale Steyn’s good rhythm is the scariest of the lot. With him not in the equation, their pace attack will not bear the same look come to Centurion or Johannesburg. Dale Steyn is a classical pacer who bowls fast and does not sledge but rather, only gives you a stare that is good enough to send shivers down the batsman’s spine.

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Lack of Experience:
Dale Steyn is the most experienced bowler in the South African pace-quartet. With him being away, his frequent advice to the younger crop in crunch situations will be amiss, which could act as a blow for the hosts.

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South Africa is in the driver’s seat in the first Test at the end of Day 2. They are 142 runs ahead with 8 wickets in hand in the second innings.