Dale Steyn’s Destruction and South Africa’s Chase: The 2011 Cricket World Cup Match that Shocked India
The 2011 Cricket World Cup match between India and South Africa was one of its kind. India was in a comfortable position while batting first, but then something unusual happened, and from a good position, everything went in disarray for India in a matter of 5-7 overs, all because of Dale Steyn.
India’s Strong Start
To put it into figures, India had a great start to their innings. Both Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar shared a 142-run partnership for the first wicket in 17.4 overs. So far so good for the home side. Sehwag was dismissed by Faf Du Plessis. Then Sachin shared a 125-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir, who contributed well with his 69-run innings.
When India lost the wicket of Gautam at 262, things still seemed in control, and at the other end, Sachin was still playing, so it looked like India would easily go past 330. Dale Steyn, on the other hand, had other plans.
Dale Steyn Delivers Remarkable Spell
In his second spell, Dale Steyn came back to haunt the Indians, taking five wickets for 50 runs in a devastating spell of bowling. He bowled with incredible pace and accuracy, making the Indian batsmen look ordinary.
He started his spell by dismissing Virender Sehwag for 73, and he then went on to take the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, and Ashish Nehra. His five-wicket haul was the best bowling performance by a South African bowler in a Cricket World Cup match.
Steyn’s spell of bowling was so devastating that it turned the match on its head. India had been in a commanding position at 267/1, but they were reduced to 296/9 thanks to Steyn’s brilliance. This gave South Africa a real chance of winning the match, and they went on to do so convincingly.
Dale Steyn was the undisputed star of the show for South Africa with the ball.
South Africa’s Chase
South Africa’s chase of 296 was not without its challenges. They lost their first wicket at 109, and then they lost three wickets in quick succession to be reduced to 173/3. They needed 123 off 86 balls when the experienced Jacques Kallis got out. However, young AB de Villiers and JP Duminy put on a 50-run partnership in 29 balls to revive the innings.
Even though they were relatively young to the side, De Villiers and Duminy played with great maturity and composure. They rotated the strike well and punished the loose balls. They were both dismissed in quick succession, but South Africa was still in the game at that point.
Another youngster at the time, Faf Du Plessis, was at the crease and remained there till the end as South Africa chased down the big target with 2 balls to spare.
Morne van Wyk and Johan Botha put on a 16-run partnership, and then Zaheer Khan dismissed van Wyk with South Africa needing just six runs to win. Johan Botha and Robin Peterson together added 41 off 22 balls, something that the Indian lower order failed to do.
The 2011 Cricket World Cup match between India and South Africa was a truly memorable one. It was a match that had everything: excitement, drama, and suspense. Dale Steyn’s five-wicket haul was one of the greatest bowling performances in the history of the Cricket World Cup, and South Africa’s chase of 296 was a thrilling one.
