Dale Steyn could barely hide his admiration after South Africa sealSed a stunning 2–0 Test series win over India, their first in 25 years on Indian soil. For the former fast-bowling great, the victory was not about Indian shortcomings but South African excellence.
It’s amazing. Twenty-five years it's taken to come back here and win,” Steyn said in a interview to Telecom Asia Sport . “I’ve been here a few times myself, and I can tell you it’s not easy. That long... incredible.
I know a lot of people will look at India and say they did this wrong or that wrong, or talk about pitches. It doesn’t really matter. Sometimes you just have to say the better team beat you. South Africa are on a roll. They’re playing such good cricket that they deserve a little bit more credit for winning this rather than looking for excuses as to why the other team lost.
Harmer’s Rise And India’s Spin Struggles
Steyn praised Simon Harmer’s journey and challenged the belief that visiting spinners cannot succeed in India.
He’s taken time to learn his craft and he’s incredibly good at spin bowling. Let’s not be naive, overseas spinners can come here and bowl well. Just like Bumrah can go to Australia, South Africa or England and do well.
But Steyn was clear about where India faltered most. “The spinners weren’t able to adjust. The South African spinners bowled outside the off-stump line, outside the batter’s eye-line. They brought the outside edge into play for slips, and the inside edge for LBW, bowled or stumped. Indian spinners just targeted the stumps, really straight, really quickly.”
South Africa bowled slower and quicker at the right times, especially in Kolkata, and it worked.
As for speculation that he gave Marco Jansen strategic tips during training, Steyn laughed it off: “I was only talking to him about fishing.
South Africa Played The Sweep, India Didn’t
Beyond bowling, Steyn underlined the stark contrast in batting strategy.
South African batters took on the sweep really well, the sweep, the reverse sweep. They were wristy, they hit down the ground, they rotated strike. The Indians hardly played the sweep. On wickets where you need to sweep, the runs weren’t there.
His conclusion was blunt: “South Africa just basically out-planned them.”
Gill’s Absence And The Toss Factor
India entered the series without Shubman Gill, and Steyn acknowledged the impact, but insisted it should not overshadow South Africa’s performance.
“Massive...South Africa won both tosses, which helps. And Gill being injured… had his neck been okay, you never know, he could have gotten two ducks. But it doesn’t detract from the way South Africa played. They played beautifully.
A Win Built On Clarity, Courage And Craft
In Steyn’s eyes, the narrative is simple: South Africa earned this. “They dominated. They deserve all the credit,” he said. “This wasn’t about India losing two series in five months. It was about South Africa playing disciplined, smart, fearless cricket.”
