Gautam Gambhir Recalls Him And Sachin Tendulkar Taking On Dale Steyn And Morne Morkel

Not many cricket fans would have forgotten the epic battle between Sachin Tendulkar and Dale Steyn in the drawn third Test in Cape Town during India's tour of South Africa in 2010-11. With the series level at 1-1, both India and South Africa were desperate to clinch the series in the third and final match at Newlands in Cape Town. The match would end in a draw after India took a two-run first innings lead in response to South Africa's 362 and were 166/3 after the Proteas posted 341 in their second innings.

The memorable individual battle between Tendulkar and Steyn in India's first innings was the highlight of the game, with the Indian cricket great later going on to call it the best spell he faced in Test cricket.

Tendulkar scored 146 in that innings and Steyn picked 5/75. Gautam Gambhir also starred in the game for India as he scored 93 in the first innings and 64 in the second.

Recalling that game, Gambhir said there was a point when him and Tendulkar struggled to rotate while facing deliveries from Steyn and Morne Morkel.

"I remember that one spell which I faced off Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn, which Sachin goes on record saying that was the best spell he faced in his Test career, in Cape Town. We scored eight runs in one hour and we didn't even rotate, we didn't even change ends," Gambhir said on Star Sports at the end of the third day's play in the ongoing Johnnesburg Test between India and South Africa.

Gambhir also lauded former Kolkata Knight Riders teammate Morkel, whom he described as "the best fast bowler I have ever faced".

"I think he was the best fast bowler I have ever faced. I have faced Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar and all the best fast bowlers in the world and I have said it on record and I will say it again: I think he was the best I have faced," Gambhir said.

"With his height and his pace, he was probably the toughest for any batter. Especially for me, I thought that there was no easy delivery and there was probably no getting away and you had to face the heat. So he was probably world-class," he added.

South Africa were 118/2 at stumps on the third day of the Johannesburg Test, chasing a total of 240 runs. India lead the series 1-0, with the third and final Test to be played in Cape Town.

Topics mentioned in this article

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