‘One win will put Deccan Chargers back on track’

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Although the Deccan Chargers are going through a difficult phase this season, Dale Steyn for his part has led their bowling attack with aplomb.

With nine wickets so far, the paceman remains confident of the Bulls bouncing back despite all odds.

Besides the IPL, Steyn told this paper he was also aware of the forthcoming international assignments where he will be called on to play a pivotal role for South Africa.

Excerpts:
Is not being able to finish things off hurting Chargers?

Well, that we were perilously close to winning almost all matches except against Chennai implies DC are a force to reckon with. I believe just one win under our belt will bring us back on track.

What adjustments should a pacer make bowling on sub-continental decks?

It’s not about adjustments, but subtle changes like altering the line a little bit that quicks should keep in mind. Talking about myself, I try to ensure batsmen don’t hit me straight down the ground or get enough room to cut.

Sometimes though I feel I get away with quite a lot of things because of my extra pace, which on certain occasions, has backfired as well.

Considering most South Africans have excelled this IPL, what about the Proteas’ prospects in World T20?

Of course, things seem to be heading towards a proper direction lately. The (South African) team looks pretty organised and importantly, each player is aware of his game and the role he’s supposed to play. This kind of mindset always helps.

South Africa’s ‘chokers’ tag still exists….

You got to admit that on most occasions, the opposition played better cricket than us. The World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand wasn’t exactly a high-pressure game, but we lost solely due to the Kiwis putting in a better all-round effort that day.

Similarly, in the 2009 World T20 semis, Shahid Afridi played a blinder to take the game away. Plus, it’s also not fair to keep on looking back at history because the current side is entirely different from the one in the 90’s.

How do you approach the coming Test series versus England?

First of all, we haven’t been to England very often, which in any case, makes the tour a difficult one. Besides, they use a different ball (Duke) there and we need to adapt to it. As a team too, England are formidable in Tests. So, we have our task cut out.