Speed demons on dust bowls
Dale Steyn's stupendous display consigned India to an innings-defeat in Nagpur. We look at other instances where non-Asian fast bowlers did well in India
Nitin Sundar
11-Feb-2010
Dale Steyn tormented India in Ahmedabad, during the 2008 tour. Two years later, he would repeat the performance in Nagpur • AFP
John Lever 7 for 46 and 3 for 24, Delhi, 1976-77
Before he had his say with the ball, the debutant Lever contributed with a stodgy half-century, helping Dennis Amiss push England to 381. India had strolled to 44 when fate struck - the ball had gone out of shape and had to be changed. As it transpired, the replacement turned out to be imperfect as well. Lever, not previously known for his swing, seized the opportunity and extracted prodigious movement. Sunil Gavaskar watched in horror as four of his colleagues were dispatched in quick time, without any support from the fielders. Brijesh Patel and Gavaskar resisted briefly before Lever induced catches from both. The fight had been knocked out of India, and as they followed on, on a wearing wicket, Derek Underwood and Tony Greig faced few problems in forcing an innings defeat. Lever fittingly provided the finishing touches, running through the tail to finish with a 10-for. He picked up another 16 wickets on the tour, and even allegations of Vaseline-induced ball-tampering could not take the shine away from his devastating debut.
Before he had his say with the ball, the debutant Lever contributed with a stodgy half-century, helping Dennis Amiss push England to 381. India had strolled to 44 when fate struck - the ball had gone out of shape and had to be changed. As it transpired, the replacement turned out to be imperfect as well. Lever, not previously known for his swing, seized the opportunity and extracted prodigious movement. Sunil Gavaskar watched in horror as four of his colleagues were dispatched in quick time, without any support from the fielders. Brijesh Patel and Gavaskar resisted briefly before Lever induced catches from both. The fight had been knocked out of India, and as they followed on, on a wearing wicket, Derek Underwood and Tony Greig faced few problems in forcing an innings defeat. Lever fittingly provided the finishing touches, running through the tail to finish with a 10-for. He picked up another 16 wickets on the tour, and even allegations of Vaseline-induced ball-tampering could not take the shine away from his devastating debut.
Malcolm Marshall 4 for 19 and 4 for 47, Kanpur, 1983-84
Marshall's tour of India in late 1983 can best be described as one unending breath of fire. He started the series in ominous style, with a carefree 92 to help Gordon Greenidge haul West Indies out of trouble on a green-top at Green Park. Having to bat out an hour on the second evening, India ran into Marshall at his menacing best. Five wickets fell before stumps, the top four to Marshall, including Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath for no score. Sensing an imminent follow-on, Clive Lloyd chose to keep his form bowler fresh as India crumbled to 207. It was déjà vu in the second innings: Marshall promptly sent back the openers in his first three overs and soon after accounted for Roger Binny, who had been promoted up the order. Marshall added the scalp of the top-scorer, Dilip Vengsarkar - for the second time in the match - as the hosts slumped to an innings defeat. Marshall continued to torment India all winter, picking up 33 wickets as West Indies prevailed 3-0 in the six-match series.
Marshall's tour of India in late 1983 can best be described as one unending breath of fire. He started the series in ominous style, with a carefree 92 to help Gordon Greenidge haul West Indies out of trouble on a green-top at Green Park. Having to bat out an hour on the second evening, India ran into Marshall at his menacing best. Five wickets fell before stumps, the top four to Marshall, including Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath for no score. Sensing an imminent follow-on, Clive Lloyd chose to keep his form bowler fresh as India crumbled to 207. It was déjà vu in the second innings: Marshall promptly sent back the openers in his first three overs and soon after accounted for Roger Binny, who had been promoted up the order. Marshall added the scalp of the top-scorer, Dilip Vengsarkar - for the second time in the match - as the hosts slumped to an innings defeat. Marshall continued to torment India all winter, picking up 33 wickets as West Indies prevailed 3-0 in the six-match series.
Dale Steyn 5 for 23 and 3 for 91, Ahmedabad, 2008
Still recovering from Virender Sehwag's battering in the first Test, South Africa could hardly believe their luck when the curator left some grass on the Motera strip for the second. Christmas came early when Anil Kumble chose to bat first. That was all the help Steyn needed to unleash a furious spell of fast bowling against a high-quality line-up that was caught napping. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, India's hopes lay with Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, but Steyn rattled their castles with contrasting deliveries. He got Sehwag with one that pitched short of a length outside off and jagged in through the bat-pad gap. Dravid succumbed to a gem that darted in, elicited the straight drive and then shaped away to hit off. With Makhaya Ntini having his own fun at the other end, Steyn came back for a second spell and completed the demolition, blowing away the tail as the hosts fell for their second-lowest total at home. India were trailing by a mountain of runs in the second innings, but Sourav Ganguly's defiance was looking set to keep the visitors in the field for a fourth day, when Steyn intervened again. He got Ganguly to edge behind, before helping himself to a couple of tail-end wickets, to finish with eight for the match.
Still recovering from Virender Sehwag's battering in the first Test, South Africa could hardly believe their luck when the curator left some grass on the Motera strip for the second. Christmas came early when Anil Kumble chose to bat first. That was all the help Steyn needed to unleash a furious spell of fast bowling against a high-quality line-up that was caught napping. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, India's hopes lay with Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, but Steyn rattled their castles with contrasting deliveries. He got Sehwag with one that pitched short of a length outside off and jagged in through the bat-pad gap. Dravid succumbed to a gem that darted in, elicited the straight drive and then shaped away to hit off. With Makhaya Ntini having his own fun at the other end, Steyn came back for a second spell and completed the demolition, blowing away the tail as the hosts fell for their second-lowest total at home. India were trailing by a mountain of runs in the second innings, but Sourav Ganguly's defiance was looking set to keep the visitors in the field for a fourth day, when Steyn intervened again. He got Ganguly to edge behind, before helping himself to a couple of tail-end wickets, to finish with eight for the match.
Lance Klusener 0 for 75 and 8 for 64, Calcutta, 1996
Eden Gardens can be an overwhelming place to debut, and Klusener learnt it the hard way, before he turned the tables in spectacular fashion. In the first innings Mohammad Azharuddin, playing at his favourite ground, went after the youngster and whipped him for five consecutive fours in a manic passage of play. South Africa's plan to bounce Azharuddin out backfired spectacularly, as he brought up the then fourth-fastest hundred in Test cricket. The error was rectified in the second innings, though, as Klusener shortened his run-up by half a yard and pitched the ball up to the batsman. Success followed immediately as Zulu ran berserk through the Indian line-up. The big wickets of Tendulkar and Dravid eluded him, but there was only one prize scalp in that match. Though Azharuddin raced to another rapid fifty, Klusener had the last laugh, and his figures of 8 for 64 remain the best by a visiting fast bowler on Indian soil.
Eden Gardens can be an overwhelming place to debut, and Klusener learnt it the hard way, before he turned the tables in spectacular fashion. In the first innings Mohammad Azharuddin, playing at his favourite ground, went after the youngster and whipped him for five consecutive fours in a manic passage of play. South Africa's plan to bounce Azharuddin out backfired spectacularly, as he brought up the then fourth-fastest hundred in Test cricket. The error was rectified in the second innings, though, as Klusener shortened his run-up by half a yard and pitched the ball up to the batsman. Success followed immediately as Zulu ran berserk through the Indian line-up. The big wickets of Tendulkar and Dravid eluded him, but there was only one prize scalp in that match. Though Azharuddin raced to another rapid fifty, Klusener had the last laugh, and his figures of 8 for 64 remain the best by a visiting fast bowler on Indian soil.
Neil Foster 6 for 104 and 5 for 59, Madras, 1985
Foster's defining performance in Madras swung an evenly contested Test series England's way. When India chose to bat on a traditionally batsman-friendly strip, they had no idea what they were getting into. Playing his first game in the series, Foster began by hitting Gavaskar's stumps and then getting Vengsarkar to nick to second slip. After a brief recovery, courtesy Azharuddin and Amarnath, Foster struck again, inducing a fatal edge from the latter. Ravi Shastri fell soon after, and despite defiance from Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani, Foster ensured that the tail did not wag. Little changed in the second innings, where, facing a deficit of 380, the Indian batsmen struggled to counter the movement. Foster cashed in, sending back the top three in quick time before Azharuddin and Amarnath joined forces. Once again Foster broke the resistance by getting Amarnath, five short of a century, and then it was only a matter of time. Foster finished with two five-fors. It was a feat he could never repeat in an injury-ridden career, but for those five days in Madras, he was nigh on unplayable.
Foster's defining performance in Madras swung an evenly contested Test series England's way. When India chose to bat on a traditionally batsman-friendly strip, they had no idea what they were getting into. Playing his first game in the series, Foster began by hitting Gavaskar's stumps and then getting Vengsarkar to nick to second slip. After a brief recovery, courtesy Azharuddin and Amarnath, Foster struck again, inducing a fatal edge from the latter. Ravi Shastri fell soon after, and despite defiance from Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani, Foster ensured that the tail did not wag. Little changed in the second innings, where, facing a deficit of 380, the Indian batsmen struggled to counter the movement. Foster cashed in, sending back the top three in quick time before Azharuddin and Amarnath joined forces. Once again Foster broke the resistance by getting Amarnath, five short of a century, and then it was only a matter of time. Foster finished with two five-fors. It was a feat he could never repeat in an injury-ridden career, but for those five days in Madras, he was nigh on unplayable.
Andy Roberts 7 for 64 and 5 for 57, Madras, 1975
Having prepared a rank turner, the hosts thought they had all bases covered going into the fourth Test in Madras. They were very nearly ambushed by the genius of Roberts, who cleverly capitalised on the uneven bounce to have the Indian batsmen hopping. With Gavaskar out injured, the Indian top order wore a thin look, and Bernard Julien cashed in to dismiss the openers cheaply. Roberts then got into the act, preying on the batsmen's minds with variations in length. He ripped open the middle order and only Gundappa Viswanath - playing the innings of his life - could stand up to him. With the West Indies' spinners unable to make use of the conditions, India got to 190, even as Roberts finished with 7 for 64. The wicket had lost all pace by the second innings, but that could not contain Roberts. He added five more wickets to his tally, and only an excellent 80 from Anshuman Gaekwad and some high quality spin from India consigned Roberts to the losing side.
Having prepared a rank turner, the hosts thought they had all bases covered going into the fourth Test in Madras. They were very nearly ambushed by the genius of Roberts, who cleverly capitalised on the uneven bounce to have the Indian batsmen hopping. With Gavaskar out injured, the Indian top order wore a thin look, and Bernard Julien cashed in to dismiss the openers cheaply. Roberts then got into the act, preying on the batsmen's minds with variations in length. He ripped open the middle order and only Gundappa Viswanath - playing the innings of his life - could stand up to him. With the West Indies' spinners unable to make use of the conditions, India got to 190, even as Roberts finished with 7 for 64. The wicket had lost all pace by the second innings, but that could not contain Roberts. He added five more wickets to his tally, and only an excellent 80 from Anshuman Gaekwad and some high quality spin from India consigned Roberts to the losing side.
Ian Botham 6 for 58 and 7 for 48, Bombay, 1980
If not for Botham's all-round brilliance, the Golden Jubilee Test at the Wankhede would have deteriorated into a below-par scrap between two tired teams. As it transpired, Beefy raised his game for the occasion and single-handedly halted India's run of 15 unbeaten Tests. The wicket, which was expected to crack up and turn viciously, ended up sporting grass that thrived through the match, under overcast skies. Botham grabbed the opportunity to swing India out. The wicketkeeper, Bob Taylor, worked overtime, taking seven catches, five off Botham's bowling. India stuttered to 242 and it looked like England were going down the same path before Botham stamped his class with the bat, his 144-ball 114 giving England a 54-run lead. With the pitch showing no signs of easing out, Botham was at it again in the second dig, ripping out six of the top seven batsmen to blow India away for 149. A match haul of 13 and a crucial, hard-hitting hundred - as far as solo performances go, this one will take some beating.
If not for Botham's all-round brilliance, the Golden Jubilee Test at the Wankhede would have deteriorated into a below-par scrap between two tired teams. As it transpired, Beefy raised his game for the occasion and single-handedly halted India's run of 15 unbeaten Tests. The wicket, which was expected to crack up and turn viciously, ended up sporting grass that thrived through the match, under overcast skies. Botham grabbed the opportunity to swing India out. The wicketkeeper, Bob Taylor, worked overtime, taking seven catches, five off Botham's bowling. India stuttered to 242 and it looked like England were going down the same path before Botham stamped his class with the bat, his 144-ball 114 giving England a 54-run lead. With the pitch showing no signs of easing out, Botham was at it again in the second dig, ripping out six of the top seven batsmen to blow India away for 149. A match haul of 13 and a crucial, hard-hitting hundred - as far as solo performances go, this one will take some beating.
Richard Hadlee 6 for 49 and 4 for 39, Bombay, 1988
In the second Test, at the Wankhede, Hadlee orchestrated one of the most stirring comebacks by a visiting team in India. Trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, New Zealand had not done their cause much good by falling for 236 in the first innings. At 134 for 2, with a rampant Kris Srikkanth and Vengsarkar going after John Bracewell's offspin, the writing seemed to be on the wall, but Hadlee replaced it with a script of his own. Vengsarkar fell to a careless shot, before Hadlee baited the big fish, Srikkanth, with a legcutter that took the leading edge en route to gully. Hadlee had found the opening and he proceeded to barge in, picking up the wickets of Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Arshad Ayub and Rashid Patel for paltry scores. With runs on the board and the pitch continuing to pose problems for batsmen, Hadlee had his tail up in the second innings. Srikkanth lasted exactly one ball, padding up to a sharp incutter, and when the top-scorer, Arun Lal, fell for 47, the end was nigh.
In the second Test, at the Wankhede, Hadlee orchestrated one of the most stirring comebacks by a visiting team in India. Trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, New Zealand had not done their cause much good by falling for 236 in the first innings. At 134 for 2, with a rampant Kris Srikkanth and Vengsarkar going after John Bracewell's offspin, the writing seemed to be on the wall, but Hadlee replaced it with a script of his own. Vengsarkar fell to a careless shot, before Hadlee baited the big fish, Srikkanth, with a legcutter that took the leading edge en route to gully. Hadlee had found the opening and he proceeded to barge in, picking up the wickets of Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Arshad Ayub and Rashid Patel for paltry scores. With runs on the board and the pitch continuing to pose problems for batsmen, Hadlee had his tail up in the second innings. Srikkanth lasted exactly one ball, padding up to a sharp incutter, and when the top-scorer, Arun Lal, fell for 47, the end was nigh.
Michael Kasprowicz 1 for 76 and 5 for 28, Bangalore, 1998
Battered by an Indian line-up led by Tendulkar in the first two Tests, and without the services of Glenn McGrath and Steve Waugh, who had injured himself in the second Test, Australia had few backers in Bangalore. But a lion-hearted spell of seam bowling from Kasprowicz turned the form book upside down and handed the visitors a much-required consolation win. Looking to break the first-innings parity, India's form pair of Tendulkar and Azharuddin went after quick runs on the fourth morning, but within 45 minutes of play Kasprowicz had swept the carpet out from under their feet. Tendulkar was flummoxed by a slower one, offering a return catch, and Azharuddin castled by a searing yorker. Suddenly, the lower order found itself in survival mode but Kasper was intent on an early flight out. Like the first two wickets in his haul, his last three did not require assistance from the fielders, as 111 for 3 became 169 all out.
Battered by an Indian line-up led by Tendulkar in the first two Tests, and without the services of Glenn McGrath and Steve Waugh, who had injured himself in the second Test, Australia had few backers in Bangalore. But a lion-hearted spell of seam bowling from Kasprowicz turned the form book upside down and handed the visitors a much-required consolation win. Looking to break the first-innings parity, India's form pair of Tendulkar and Azharuddin went after quick runs on the fourth morning, but within 45 minutes of play Kasprowicz had swept the carpet out from under their feet. Tendulkar was flummoxed by a slower one, offering a return catch, and Azharuddin castled by a searing yorker. Suddenly, the lower order found itself in survival mode but Kasper was intent on an early flight out. Like the first two wickets in his haul, his last three did not require assistance from the fielders, as 111 for 3 became 169 all out.
Jason Gillespie 5 for 56 and 4 for 24, Nagpur, 2004
Australia may well have imagined the home stretch to "the final frontier" would be a treacherous, turning dust bowl, so when they were greeted at the threshold by a Nagpur green-top, they had every reason to be overjoyed. Still, there were 20 wickets to be taken, and in Gillespie they had the perfect executioner. After Australia's batsmen romped to 398 at nearly four runs per over, McGrath proceeded to asphyxiate the aggressive, in-form Sehwag, who nicked one behind. Dizzy then took over, getting Aakash Chopra to edge to slip, before trapping a subdued Tendulkar in front. With wickets falling at the other end, Gillespie came back to roll over the tail and put his side in the driving seat. Needing to survive over five sessions in the second innings, India were doomed when Gillespie rattled the stumps of their most obdurate batsmen, Chopra and Dravid, early in the piece. With Tendulkar and Laxman flattering to deceive, it was only a matter of time, and Gillespie took two more wickets as Australia won in India after 34 years.
Australia may well have imagined the home stretch to "the final frontier" would be a treacherous, turning dust bowl, so when they were greeted at the threshold by a Nagpur green-top, they had every reason to be overjoyed. Still, there were 20 wickets to be taken, and in Gillespie they had the perfect executioner. After Australia's batsmen romped to 398 at nearly four runs per over, McGrath proceeded to asphyxiate the aggressive, in-form Sehwag, who nicked one behind. Dizzy then took over, getting Aakash Chopra to edge to slip, before trapping a subdued Tendulkar in front. With wickets falling at the other end, Gillespie came back to roll over the tail and put his side in the driving seat. Needing to survive over five sessions in the second innings, India were doomed when Gillespie rattled the stumps of their most obdurate batsmen, Chopra and Dravid, early in the piece. With Tendulkar and Laxman flattering to deceive, it was only a matter of time, and Gillespie took two more wickets as Australia won in India after 34 years.
Matthew Hoggard 6 for 57 and 1 for 29, Nagpur, 2006
That England even managed to field a fit XI for this match was a miracle of sorts. That they went on to dominate it for the most part was down to a memorable spell from Hoggard. Three key players - Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones - bowed out of the reckoning at the 11th hour, leaving the visitors to field three debutants and a new captain. That did not deter Paul Collingwood, whose spunky maiden hundred was the keystone of England's 393. Hoggard struck immediately, conning Sehwag into an airy drive off a slower ball. Wasim Jaffer and Dravid engineered a recovery, and at 140 for 1, India looked set to match and surpass England's effort. Hoggard scotched all such plans with a gripping spell of controlled reverse swing. First he got one to dart in sharply and thud into Dravid's pads, before taking one the other way to get a thick edge from Jaffer. Laxman hardly had time to put on his pads, but he did not have to keep them on long, after Hoggard struck them with another guided missile that curved in prodigiously. Three for five in 11 balls - Hoggard and England had announced themselves in style.
That England even managed to field a fit XI for this match was a miracle of sorts. That they went on to dominate it for the most part was down to a memorable spell from Hoggard. Three key players - Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones - bowed out of the reckoning at the 11th hour, leaving the visitors to field three debutants and a new captain. That did not deter Paul Collingwood, whose spunky maiden hundred was the keystone of England's 393. Hoggard struck immediately, conning Sehwag into an airy drive off a slower ball. Wasim Jaffer and Dravid engineered a recovery, and at 140 for 1, India looked set to match and surpass England's effort. Hoggard scotched all such plans with a gripping spell of controlled reverse swing. First he got one to dart in sharply and thud into Dravid's pads, before taking one the other way to get a thick edge from Jaffer. Laxman hardly had time to put on his pads, but he did not have to keep them on long, after Hoggard struck them with another guided missile that curved in prodigiously. Three for five in 11 balls - Hoggard and England had announced themselves in style.
Nitin Sundar is a sub-editor at Cricinfo