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Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Brutal Spells That Broke Batting Lineups — No. 2 Was a Nightmare

From raw pace to deadly reverse swing, Dale Steyn’s top five spells redefined fear in Test cricket.

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7 months ago

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Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Destructive Spells That Changed Test Cricket Forever
Dale Steyn roars after dismissing a batter — raw emotion, pure pace, and absolute domination.

When cricket historians talk about the greatest fast bowlers of all time, one name echoes with undeniable respect — Dale Steyn. The South African pace machine, known for his venomous outswingers and explosive aggression, ruled world cricket for over a decade. His ability to swing the ball at high speeds, combined with unmatched intensity, made him a nightmare for even the greatest batters.

Here’s a look at five of Dale Steyn’s most iconic bowling spells, where he didn’t just take wickets — he dismantled entire lineups.

READ ALSO : Ricky Ponting once said “I learned from the best” but who were Australia’s 5 greatest cricketers ever?

1. 7/51 vs India – Nagpur, 2010

Steyn’s performance in Nagpur is widely regarded as one of the best reverse swing displays in modern Test cricket. Against an Indian batting lineup featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni, Steyn was untouchable.

  • He bowled with both old and new ball brilliance
  • His reverse swing deliveries were lethal, ducking into the toes at 145+ km/h
  • India was bundled out for 233, while South Africa declared at 558/6

Even Sachin Tendulkar, a master of playing pace and swing, was undone by Steyn’s precision.

You don’t often see India demolished like this at home,” remarked Harsha Bhogle during the commentary.

Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Destructive Spells That Changed Test Cricket Forever


2. 6/8 vs Pakistan – Johannesburg, 2013

Pakistan vs South Africa 1st Test, 2013

This was peak Steyn — brutal, relentless, and almost unplayable. In Johannesburg, Pakistan was bowled out for 49 runs, their lowest-ever Test total.

Steyn extracted life from a quick Wanderers pitch, swinging and seaming the ball both ways at high pace. This spell left Pakistan rattled and reeling.

He’s like a shark in bloodied water,” wrote Cricbuzz in their match report.

Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Destructive Spells That Changed Test Cricket Forever


3. 5/23 vs New Zealand – Centurion, 2007

This was the spell that announced Dale Steyn’s arrival on the global stage.

Still finding his rhythm in international cricket, Steyn tore through New Zealand’s top and middle order with raw pace and movement. Batters like Stephen Fleming and Ross Taylor had no answers to his aggressive spells.

  • He ended with 5 wickets for 23 runs
  • Bowled with rhythm, bounce, and aggression
  • Helped South Africa dominate the match from the start

It was here that people first whispered: “South Africa has found a new Allan Donald.”

Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Destructive Spells That Changed Test Cricket Forever


4. 6/100 vs Australia – Melbourne, 2008

Australia vs South Africa, MCG 2008

In Australian conditions — where bowlers struggle to move the ball — Steyn thrived.

Facing a mighty Australian side with the likes of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, and Matthew Hayden, Steyn struck gold. He took 10 wickets in the match, including 6/100 in the first innings.

What made this performance iconic was:

  • He scored 76 crucial runs with the bat
  • Took wickets at crucial intervals
  • Played a pivotal role in South Africa’s first series win in Australia in 15 years

He didn’t just outbowl us, he outclassed us,” said Michael Clarke in the post-match press conference.

Dale Steyn’s 5 Most Destructive Spells That Changed Test Cricket Forever


5. 5/50 vs Sri Lanka – Galle, 2014

Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Galle 2014

Subcontinent conditions favor spinners — but Dale Steyn wasn’t having any of it. In a Test match at Galle, on a dry, turning pitch, Steyn delivered one of the best fast bowling spells ever seen on Asian soil.

He picked up:

  • 5 wickets for just 50 runs
  • Used reverse swing and cutters masterfully
  • Got the better of experienced players like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene

It was a reminder that great fast bowling is about more than pace — it’s about skill, adaptation, and mindset.

Why These Spells Still Matter

What makes these performances iconic isn’t just the wickets — it’s how Steyn took them:

  • With aggression, but also control
  • In home and away conditions
  • Against world-class batters

Dale Steyn finished his Test career with 439 wickets in 93 matches, at an average of 22.95. He topped the ICC Test Bowling Rankings for 263 weeks — the most by any bowler in history.


Legacy: The Steyn Gun Impact

Even after retirement, Steyn’s legacy lives on. Young South African quicks like Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada often cite him as their inspiration.

Whether you were a Proteas fan or not, if you loved fast bowling, you respected Dale Steyn. He wasn’t just a bowler — he was a storm.

And cricket may never see another quite like him again.

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Caleb Williams Impresses, but the Bears’ Late-Game Decisions Raise Eyebrows

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

5 days ago

on

January 30, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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A Strong Night for Caleb Williams Ends With Doubts About the Bears’ Late Decisions

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

1 week ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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Sports

Caleb Williams Did His Part But Did the Bears Overthink the Finish

One impossible touchdown changed everything — but Chicago’s season may have been decided by what happened next

Published

2 weeks ago

on

January 21, 2026

By

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years

For one breathtaking moment, football stopped making sense.

With seconds left in a divisional-round playoff game, Caleb Williams launched a prayer — a 50-plus-yard, off-balance, back-foot moon shot — and somehow, impossibly, it found Cole Kmet in the end zone. It was the kind of touchdown that instantly joins NFL folklore, the sort of play fans remember for decades.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears were one extra point away from tying the Los Angeles Rams — a scenario no one could have imagined just moments earlier.

And that’s when the question arrived, loud and unavoidable:

Why not go for two?

The dream-big argument

If Chicago converts the two-point try, the Rams are done. Season over. The Bears move one game away from the Super Bowl, potentially facing either a second-year quarterback or an injury replacement in the AFC. No matchup in the NFL is easy, but this was a window — and those windows don’t stay open long.

Ask Aaron Rodgers or Dan Marino how rare Super Bowl chances truly are. Between them, 38 seasons, one Super Bowl appearance each. Even greatness doesn’t guarantee multiple shots.

Momentum, belief, shock value — everything screamed end it now. One play. One decision. Push all the chips to the middle.

But football decisions aren’t made in the clouds. They’re made in film rooms.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


Why Chicago didn’t gamble

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t flinch. Replays showed him calm, unmoved, almost indifferent to the miracle unfolding. He knew the touchdown created options — but also responsibility.

Because miracles don’t stack.

Just minutes earlier, Chicago had first-and-goal at the Rams’ 5-yard line. Three ineffective runs by De’Andre Swift and a failed fourth-down pass told Johnson everything he needed to know about his short-yardage confidence.

After the game, Johnson explained it plainly.

“Our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very cleanly,” he said. “Our inside-the-5 plan hadn’t worked out like we hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances in overtime.”

There was also time left — 13 seconds and two Rams timeouts. One explosive play, maybe a penalty, and Los Angeles could still have stolen it with a field goal even after a failed conversion.

So Chicago chose survival over glory.

How it unraveled anyway

The Bears lived to fight in overtime — and then watched their season collapse anyway. A brutal interception. A defensive breakdown. Game over.

And just like that, Williams-to-Kmet joined a heartbreaking fraternity: iconic plays that didn’t change the ending. Think Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII. Think Julio Jones and that impossible toe-tap in Super Bowl LI.

Legendary moments — frozen in time — attached to losses.

So… was it the wrong call?

Emotionally? Maybe.

Strategically? Probably not.

Coaches don’t get paid to chase vibes. They get paid to trust evidence. And Chicago’s evidence said a single, all-or-nothing snap wasn’t the best bet.

That doesn’t make it satisfying. It just makes it honest.

Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown gave the Bears hope — and a decision that will be debated for years


What this moment really means for Chicago

The Bears don’t leave this game empty-handed. They leave with something rarer than a win: belief.

You can’t build a franchise on miracle throws — but you can build a culture on refusing to quit. This team fought until the very last second, and that matters more than fans often admit.

Williams will be just 24 entering the 2026 season. Think about what he might look like at 27, 28, 29. There are no guarantees — Rodgers and Marino taught us that — but this is as good a foundation as any team could ask for.

Years from now, if Chicago is lucky, Williams-to-Kmet won’t be remembered as a cruel “what if.”

It will be remembered as the beginning.

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