One of Dale Steyn's memorable Test bowling performances came against India at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. India won the toss and chose to bat first, with the pitch sporting a bit of grass. Dale Steyn, who was at the peak of his powers back then, picked five for 23 in the first innings to help South Africa bowl out the host for 76. He took three for 91 in the second innings, completing a match haul of 8 for 114. The Proteas went on to win the Test by an innings and 90 runs.
On South Africa's tour of India in 2010, Dale Steyn produced another sensational spell of fast bowling, taking 10 wickets in the first Test of the series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. He took seven for 51 in the first innings, his scalps being Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Subramaniam Badrinath, Wriddhiman Saha, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra. India was bowled out for 233 in the first innings in reply to South Africa's 558 for six declared in its first innings. Steyn took three for 57 when India followed on in its second innings, finishing with a match haul of 10 for 108. South Africa won the Test by an innings and six runs.
Dale Steyn took five 10-wicket hauls in the 93 Tests he played. One of those came in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in 2008 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He took 10 for 154 and laid the foundation for South Africa's nine-wicket win. It was a historic tour for the Proteas, which won its first ever Test series on Australian soil.
Dale Steyn suffered a career-threatening injury on South Africa's tour of Australia in 2016. He had a fracture in his right shoulder blade and the injury kept him out of action for 13 months. His comeback Test was against India in Newlands, Cape Town, in January 2018. He picked up a heel injury in his comeback Test and had to undergo a lengthy period of rehabilitation again.
Dale Steyn became South Africa's highest wicket-taker in Tests when he dismissed Fakhar Zaman in the 2018 Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at Newlands, Cape Town. Shaun Pollock, who had been the highest wicket-taker with 421 wickets, was on air when Steyn went past his record. It was an emotional moment, with Steyn raising thumbs up to Pollock.
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