INDIA TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

When 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' played together

by Tristan Holme • Last updated on

Steyn and Morkel have bagged over 700 Test scalps between them © Getty

Perhaps it will only ever be this match. Perhaps, withDale Steyn incurring yet another injury, South Africa's version of the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' will only turn out in half a Test together. After all, history tells us that four-man pace attacks of the highest quality rarely come along, and never last long when they do.

In fact, to find an attack featuring four out-and-out fast bowlers with 100 Test wickets apiece, you have to go back as far as 1981-82, when the greatest quartet of them all - Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Colin Croft - played four Tests together for the West Indies. Garner, for what it's worth, had 124 wickets at the time, while Holding had 139, Roberts 173 and Croft had 125 in his final Test.

The West Indies have come close to hitting that metric a couple of times since. In Malcolm Marshall's final Test at The Oval in 1991, he had 376 wickets and was supported by Courtney Walsh (174), Curtly Ambrose (140) and Patrick Patterson (91). "A mean attack," as Holding put it on Saturday after a commentary stint at Newlands. Then, in the Boxing Day Test of 1996, they fielded Walsh (321), Ambrose (278), Ian Bishop (130) and Kenny Benjamin (89).

South Africa have had some menacing four-man attacks themselves, though that was thanks to the presence of Jacques Kallis - twice he was the fourth pacer in a unit that all had 100 Test wickets to their name. But the Proteas had never fielded four outright fast bowlers with that record - not until the first Test against India.

All the more reason, then, to have paused and appreciated what was happening on the first two days at Newlands. While a three-man attack could have wreaked similar havoc to what was created on the first evening, the beauty of South Africa's resources became truly apparent on Saturday (January 6).

First there was Steyn, who started the Test as South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker with 417, steaming in from the Kelvin Grove End and probing away at Rohit Sharma with his trademark outswingers. From the Wynberg End, Vernon Philander (173 wickets) rumbled in with an upright seam, forever threatening to move the ball no more than half a bat-width in either direction - just the right amount to either find the outside edge or beat the inside one. His first spell of six overs could not yield a wicket but cost South Africa just one run.

The pitch had clearly eased off from its entertaining best on day one. Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara even looked comfortable at times as they survived the first hour, but such was the relentless precision of Steyn and Philander that only seven runs were scored. Nevertheless South Africa needed more fire. Enter Morne Morkel(281 wickets) and Kagiso Rabada (105).

As the quartet's leading strike bowler in 2017, when he claimed a Test wicket every 38 deliveries, it seemed absurd for Rabada to have to wait his turn. But he also understood. "Steyn is the quickest ever to 400 Test wickets (in terms of balls bowled) and Philander is the quickest South African to 100. You need to understand that these guys are going to come before you and bowl because they have done great stuff. But you are always eager to run in harder and bowl."

It was Rabada who caught the eye most, confirming that even as Steyn's career comes to a close, South Africa's future is lit. "He has improved a lot, says Holding, who has seen plenty of Rabada in both South Africa and England over the past year. "He's become stronger and quicker."

Rabada bowls with sustained hostility while Philander combines seam movement and control to trouble the batsmen ©Getty

On a slowing pitch it was Rabada's extra pace - which clocked 149kph with one delivery - that made the difference as he made the key breakthroughs. In his first over he came closest of anyone to removing Sharma or Pujara when the former edged a rising delivery through vacant fourth slip. In his second over, Sharma was too slow getting forward and was pinned in front, plumb lbw.

After lunch it was back to Philander and Steyn to swing out three quick wickets with lateral movement. But when South Africa ran into a spirited Hardik Pandya onslaught, it always looked likely that they would need Rabada's aggression with the short ball to crack the tail. As Rabada charged in from around the wicket, Pandya set himself to fight fire with fire and a revved-up Newlands crowd saw its exchange of the day.

After a swing and a miss at a short ball over the off-stump, Pandya tried to give himself room but was followed by a heat-seeking missile. He might still be wondering how he evaded it. Three deliveries later there was no such luck as he went for the pull and was hit in the groin. Pandya sank to the floor. Rabada walked towards him, picked up the ball, looked at the batsman and casually lobbed the ball just over his head. The exchange did not suggest empathy. While Morkel is the softy that South Africans always wanted to develop a mean streak, Rabada is the more natural fast bowler. When he got his man in his next over, the muscle-flexing celebration confirmed it.

South Africa had needed their four-man pace attack to be relentless to finish a determined India off. In truth, their selection had covered up for their poor judgment of the pitch, with Faf du Plessis presenting India with the best of the conditions by batting first.

"Why would you pick four fast bowlers and then bat first?" asks Holding. "I believe in doing a job as clinically as you possibly can. I don't believe in giving the opposition too much of a chance. When South Africa batted first they allowed India into the Test match immediately. Medium pacers on a pitch with a little bit of moisture and a lot of green grass are going to give you trouble. Look how much easier it was for South Africa to bat against them today. So bowl first, bowl them out cheaply and then bat when the pitch is at its best. I don't believe in taking five steps when you only need to take three."

South Africa are unlikely to be in the position again - at least in terms of fielding four quicks of the same quality - so they might not need Holding's advice. Steyn could theoretically recover by the time South Africa host Australia in March, but the Proteas have picked venues for that series to expose Australia's perceived weakness against spin. They might well pick an all-seam attack at the Wanderers - as they have in their last two Tests at the ground - but Duanne Olivier or Chris Morris will not hold the same menace as Steyn.

Yes, it will probably just be this once. Long after the fans had left the ground, Steyn shuffled painfully across the field to the parking lot, a sorry-looking figure if ever there was one. If this is the end then he will remember this day with sadness, but history will also record it as the day when South Africa's greatest strength - fast bowling - hit a memorable high note.

© Cricbuzz

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