Strike bowler Steyn devastates India's batting

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WORLD'S BEST: South African Dale Steyn, the world's No1 ranked bowler, watches the ball after a delivery during the first test against India.

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South African Dale Steyn confirmed his status as the world's premier quick bowler with a career best seven for 51 on the third day of the first test against India.

Steyn took five wickets for just three runs in a post-tea display of top-class reverse swing after dismissing Murali Vijay for four and Sachin Tendulkar for seven with conventional swing swing bowling early in the first innings.

He then took his eighth wicket of the match when he dismissed Sehwag for 16 after India had followed on to leave the hosts at 66 for two at the close with Vijay (27) and Tendulkar (15) at the crease.

India, the world's number one side, were left struggling to save the match, still 259 runs behind South Africa's imposing first innings 558 for six declared, in the two-test series between the world's two top sides.

The 26-year-old Steyn attributed his magical spell to the change of ball just before tea and a chat with interim coach Corrie van Zyl at the break.

"Corrie sat us down at tea and said that the session after lunch wasn't good enough. We didn't get the wickets that we wanted," Steyn told reporters after recording his 13th five-wicket test haul.

Steyn fired out Subramaniam Badrinath (56), debutant Wriddhiman Saha (0), Zaheer Khan (2) Amit Mishra (0) and Harbhajan Singh for eight in a master-class display as India lost their last six wickets for the addition of just 12 runs.

"We had the ball changed because the one we were using had split open, and once it started to reverse and we got one or two lucky dismissals, it just started a roll," said Steyn, who is approaching 200 wickets in test cricket.

PATIENT SEHWAG

Steyn's awesome display overshadowed a fine innings by Sehwag, who batted with uncharacteristic patience for his 18th test century.

Sehwag put on 136 for the fourth wicket with Badrinath, one of two debutants in the middle order after injures ruled out the experienced Rahul Dravid, Vangipurappu Laxman and Yuvraj Singh before the match.

"Before the test started, we said that reverse swing was going to be key on these pitches," said Steyn whose five-wicket haul blew away India for 76 and set up a South African victory on their previous visit two years ago.

"You're not going to get a lot of sideways movement off the wicket. There's not a lot of grass on them. You've got to rely on getting the ball to do something through the air.

"I said before that a ball bowled at 145 kph, whether it's in Johannesburg or Nagpur, is still 145 kms in the air. The plan was to hit the deck hard, with pace."

South Africa, who will reclaim the number one ranking if they win the series, dominated the test entirely although their preparations for the difficult tour were disrupted by the resignation of long-serving coach Mickey Arthur.

Arthur quit and the entire selection committe were sacked following the drawn home test series against England.

- Reuters