Dale Steyn advocates for Free-Hit off No-Balls in Test Cricket as well in view of bowlers’ survival versus pacers.
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During the second day of the third Test of the ongoing India’s tour of South Africa in Cape Town, India have bundled up the South African batting line-up for 210 in 76.3 Overs to manage a slender 13-run lead in the second innings.
Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian pace attack, picking up his 7th five-wicket haul in Test Cricket, returning with figures of 23.3-8-42-5. He was equally well complimented by Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami who scalped two wickets each.
Akin Virat Kohli for India in the first innings, it was Keegan Petersen (72 (166)) for South Africa, who came up with a lone stand-out performance.
However, South African legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn, seemed to be quite concerned for the Proteas bowlers facing the Indian pacers during the final few Overs of their first innings.
Dale Steyn advocates for Free-Hit off No-Balls in Test Cricket
Post the fall of Keegan Petersen’s wicket, India’s Umesh Yadav opted to bowl a series of Short deliveries, to the Proteas pacers- Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Olivier.
While an Umesh Yadav short delivery was uncomfortably fended off by Olivier in the 68th Over, he hit Rabada on the side of the helmet during the 70th Over which prompted the Umpire to call for the physio.
Earlier, while Olivier managed to survive a hostile spell of fast bowling off Jasprit Bumrah during the 67th Over, he had to face a total of 7 deliveries in the Over, as Bumrah overstepped on the ultimate delivery.
Perhaps taking note of this particular event, Dale Steyn was prompted to advocate for a Free Hit off No-Balls in Test Cricket as well, in view of survival of the tail-enders who find themselves at the receiving end of a barrage of Short deliveries bowled by the opposition pacers.
He took to his Twitter handle to ask his followers what they think of this suggestion. The 38-year-old then went on to add that Free Hits off No-Balls would help the bowlers of the batting team to survive the 7-8-9 deliveries that the opposition bowlers bowl to finish their Over.
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