Dale Steyn

[CricAddict]

When Mcgrath was about to bowl to the Indians in a match, my first thought was 'So, how many wickets is he going to take in this first spell'. Steyn doesn't evoke a similar thought to me.

 

[harsh.ag]

I agree. I am actually always wondering if I am going to see GOD Steyn or Mortal Steyn whenever I watch him bowl. He has turned on GOD mode a few times against us though.

 

[OverratedSanity]

When Mcgrath was about to bowl to the Indians in a match, my first thought was 'So, how many wickets is he going to take in this first spell'. Steyn doesn't evoke a similar thought to me.

You've got to be kidding me. Steyn makes me sweat with fear whenever he runs in. Old ball, new ball, in form, out of form, whatever. He's torn us apart ion several occasions in a manner even McGrath didn't.

 

[Dan]

To be fair, India regularly had far worse openers in the McGrath days (even if he didn't bowl at them all) -- Sadagoppan Ramesh, Deep Dasgupta, Mannava Prasad, Devang Gandhi, SS Das, Wasim Jaffer, Sanjay Bangar, Aakash Chopra. It was only really with the advent of Sehwag/Gambhir that India had two competent batsman up top, and by the time they settled in it was time for McGrath to move on.

 

[hendrix]

When Mcgrath was about to bowl to the Indians in a match, my first thought was 'So, how many wickets is he going to take in this first spell'. Steyn doesn't evoke a similar thought to me.

You're talking about the bowler with the best strike rate in the history of the game...

 

[Red]

Bitch please.

View attachment 21418

I like Trueman, but he's whiny.

Tired after 300 wickets, pls...

 

[CricAddict]

You're talking about the bowler with the best strike rate in the history of the game...

Yes, but I don't think Steyn takes wickets consistently in his first few overs as often as Mcgrath did. Usually, in the middle of the game, when the team needs him, he switches on God-mode and gets those strike rates up, up and up. Mcgrath very frequently finishes the game in the first few overs. This is based on the cricket that I have seen and not stats.

 

[Red]

"Switching to god mode" isn't a real thing and it isn't in stats either...

 

[harsh.ag]

No, Steyn is always good, and mostly great. That is a given. But sometimes he bowls a special spell and you can see he is really pumped up. Like when he wanted to give Kallis a farewell victory. Those are special.

 

[social]

So Ponting's record would be a lot worse if he played half his matches in SA? By the same logic Amla, AB etc would average in 60s if they played home tests in Australia.

Anyways, McGrath's record in SA is not better than his record in Australia.

Thanks Statsguru career summary

FTR, his figures are skewed by his average of 40+ in his first series as a novice

Subsequent series in SA yielded averages of 22 & 18 plus he was injured when his replacement Clark took 20 wickets @ 15 in 2005

Would have had a career average in the teens if born in SA IMO

 

[cnerd123]

Yes, but I don't think Steyn takes wickets consistently in his first few overs as often as Mcgrath did. Usually, in the middle of the game, when the team needs him, he switches on God-mode and gets those strike rates up, up and up. Mcgrath very frequently finishes the game in the first few overs. This is based on the cricket that I have seen and not stats.

I kinda agree with this.

I haven't seen every one of each of their spells, but of what I have seen I do recall McGrath always looked threatening, especially with the new ball. Even if he didn't take a wicket, he built pressure and batsmen never looked really comfortable with him.

With Steyn he has quite a few off-colour spells, where he doesn't really look that threatening. Even if he is bowling well, he doesn't look like an ATG, he just looks about par with Philander and Morkel. And there out of nowhere he will pull out a spell where he just absolutely wrecks a batting lineup, which just leaves you in awe.

With the new ball, McGrath was a threat in every innings he bowled. Most of his best spells have come with the new ball. He was so consistent with that, and he could wreck flakey top orders like no other.
With Steyn, his best spells have mostly come with the older ball in the middle of an innings when the match is drifting. He has an ability to rip apart a side out of nowhere with a demonic spell of bowling which is un-matched in any other fast bowler I have seen (and from what I have read, only the two Ws with their reverse swing come close).

Steyn is also very unique in being able to bowl with a range of speeds and style based on conditions. No other bowler I have seen could bowl 130ks accurate big booming outswingers, 140k reverse swing, and hostile short bowling all in one match with the same level of skill across the board as Steyn.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Steyn's best spells have come with the old ball? Well, that's a real surprise to hear. And I could spin it the other way too, Steyn with the older ball looks more dangerous than McGrath, quite easily.

 

[cnerd123]

Steyn's best spells have come with the old ball? Well, that's a real surprise to hear. And I could spin it the other way too, Steyn with the older ball looks more dangerous than McGrath, quite easily.

I'd go through all their spells and check to see if, again, the performances match the impression, but CBF at the moment. Still have a further Herath/Ajmal analysis pending.

But I do stand by Steyn's worse < McGrath's worse and Steyn's best > McGraths best, and Steyn being more inconsistent (although given we are comparing two ATGs, inconsistent is a very relative term).

 

[OverratedSanity]

Oh, absolutely I agree that Steyn's worse < McGrath's worse. McGrath essentially didn't have a 'worse'.

I just disagreed that more of Steyn's best moments are with the old ball.

 

[ankitj]

Oh, absolutely I agree that Steyn's worse < McGrath's worse. McGrath essentially didn't have a 'worse'.

I just disagreed that more of Steyn's best moments are with the old ball.

In that long career I am sure McGrath would have had a low. Remember sometime around 2004 people were claiming his career is coming to an end. But that doesn't say anything about this comparison.

Edit: certainly remembering reading about McGrath's loss of form but looking at hi year by year averages, only blip seems to be 2003 when he averaged 35 but that's just 4 tests.

 

[Dan]

Edit: certainly remembering reading about McGrath's loss of form but looking at hi year by year averages, only blip seems to be 2003 when he averaged 35 but that's just 4 tests.

He missed a lot of cricket in 2003-04 through both injury and his wife's illness, so I suspect that had something to do with it -- far more important priorities.

 

[watson]

I'm not sure whether it was my imagination but it seemed to me that McGrath had lost a yard of pace by about 2004. Or at least extra bounce and carry to the keeper. This is not wholly unexpected as bowlers do get old.

So if I have to pick a McGrath for my ATG team then he would be from the late 90s when he was at his most lethal.

 

[Jono]

Steyn being compared to McGrath is awesome. I think McGrath's better but it shows just how well Steyn has consistently performed for years and years now. WAG.

Similar to Sanga now being at least discussed alongside Ponting, Sachin and Lara.

Even if Steyn and Sanga are not better (yet?), the fact that they're in the convo shows how kick-ass they have been for a significant length of time.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah look, you'd have to be an imbecile to think Sanga belongs in the argument with Ponting, let alone Tendulkar and Lara. Fine player though.

 

[Teja.]

Yeah, definitely think Steyn's case is far more legit and he has a good chance of being better by the end of his career which for Sanga/Tendulkar I don't think is true.