Steyn's best, and de Villiers' record
Stats highlights from day four of the first Test in Johannesburg
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
04-Feb-2013
Dale Steyn has the best strike rate and average among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins • AFP
Despite Pakistan's fight, the hosts completed the formalities early on the fourth day. Here are the numbers from yet another commanding opening-Test win for South Africa.
- Dale Steyn's 11 for 60 is his best match bowling performance in Tests surpassing his previous best of 10 for 91 against New Zealand in Centurion in 2007. Overall, it is the seventh-best match bowling performance by a South African bowler. Since South Africa's readmission, Steyn's 11 for 60 is the second-best bowling performance in Tests in Johannesburg behind Matthew Hoggard's 12 for 205 in 2005. Steyn's performance is also the fifth-best match display against Pakistan and the second-best outside the subcontinent behind Derek Underwood's 13 for 71 at Lord's in 1974.
- The number of runs conceded by Steyn (60) is the lowest ever (joint 12th overall) by a South African bowler picking up a ten-wicket match haul. It is also the fewest number of runs conceded by a bowler against Pakistan while picking up a ten-wicket haul in the game. Steyn also became the eighth bowler to pick up twin five-fors in a Test against Pakistan and the first since James Anderson at Trent Bridge in 2010. Among South African bowlers, only Steyn and Makhaya Ntini have picked up twin five-wicket hauls on three different occasions.
- Steyn has now picked up 225 wickets in Test wins. Among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins, Steyn has the best strike rate (29.9) followed by Waqar Younis (35.0). Steyn's average of 15.79 is also the best among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins. Among pace bowlers in the group, only Glenn McGrath has more five-wicket hauls in wins (18).
- Steyn, who has picked up 183 wickets at home, has the best strike rate and the third-best average among bowlers with 175-plus wickets in home Tests. Among South African bowlers, only Ntini and Shaun Pollock have more Test wickets at home.
- AB de Villiers equalled the record of Jack Russell for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test (11 dismissals). Russell had set the record in Johannesburg in 1995. De Villiers also became the only wicketkeeper to score a century and effect ten dismissals in the same game.
- South Africa improved their head-to-head record against Pakistan to 7-2 in ten Tests at home. Their losses came in Durban (1998) and Port Elizabeth (2006). In three matches in Johannesburg, South Africa have won two and drawn one. Since their readmission, South Africa are 22-8 in the opening Test of home series (two-plus match series). Four of the eight losses have come against Australia.
- Of the 22 times that Pakistan have been set a target greater than 400, they have drawn five and lost 17. All five of the draws have come in Tests played in the subcontinent. Since 2000, the only two wins for Pakistan in an opening Test outside the subcontinent have come against New Zealand.
- Pakistan faced 100.4 overs in the fourth innings. This is the ninth time that they have faced 100 or more overs in the final innings. They have won once and lost on four of the nine occasions. It is also the highest (seventh overall) number of overs faced by a subcontinent team in the fourth innings in a Test in South Africa since South Africa's readmission.
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo