JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 02: Dale Steyn of the Proteas celebrates the wicket of Steven Smith of Australia during the 2nd Momentum ODI Series match between South Africa and Australia at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on October 02, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
When you talk about some of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Dale Steyn's name is in that category.
South Africa has produced a plethora of outstanding bowlers in Allan Donald, Makahya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Jacques Kallis and Hugh Tyfield in representing the rainbow nation.
But none were more frightening and fierce than Steyn.
Coming onto the Test scene in 2004 against England, Steyn went from strength to strength in becoming the country's best bowler, taking 439 wickets in 93 Tests at an outstanding bowling average of 22.95 and a strike rate of 42.39. He possessed a terrific outswinger and inswinger and sheer brutal yorkers leaving the batsmen's stumps sprawling.
Whilst his bowling put fear into opposition batsmen, his wicket celebrations and "crazy eyes" would have made the youngest cricket fans quickly retreat from their living rooms. Despite battling a shoulder injury in the twilight of his career, it doesn't take away from the fact that the man from Phalaborwa, in South Africa's Transvaal Province, would imprint himself among cricket's greats.
In this piece, we'll take a dive into the top five moments of Dale Steyn's illustrious cricketing career.
Coming off the second-greatest run-chase (4/414) in the series' opening test at the WACA, the tourists came into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG brimming with confidence. These levels would soon evaporate as Australia posted 394 in its first innings despite Steyn taking 5/87.
In its first innings, South Africa found themselves in dire straits at 7/184 then at 8/251 when Steyn strode out to the crease to partner J.P. Duminy - only playing in his second Test. Prior to the test, Steyn had never made a test half-century. Soon that would change.
With Duminy showing poise and class beyond his years, Steyn got in on the action. Displaying a range of cricket shots not naturally in a number 10's kit bag, Steyn played a significant contribution in assisting Duminy in eating away at the considerable deficit of 137.
As Steyn began to enjoy his time at the crease, the frustration on the Australians' faces was paramount. None more so when Steyn attempted to pull Peter Siddle past square wicket only for his shot to catch the outside edge and fly over the top of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for a boundary.
Later on, Steyn survived a dropped chance from Michael Hussey who completely misread the flight of the ball under the sun. And he made the Australians pay. Shortly after he took the attack to Mitch Johnson with a bullet tracing straight drive and then belting off-spinner Nathan Hauritz over long mid-on for six.
Steyn's highest test score of 76 would come to end, but not before he and Duminy put on a rearguard performance with a 180-run ninth-wicket partnership. It is the fifth highest for any ninth wicket stand to this day and the second best in South African Test history behind the 195 runs from Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 1998.
Now with a pep in his step, Steyn would begin his bowling assault on the experienced Australian batting line-up. First, he got rid of Matthew Hayden going for a booming cover drive, and then soon Simon Katich, as he also looked to expansively drive through cover. Michael Clarke became Steyn's third victim after shelling a back-foot drive straight to Graeme McKenzie at short cover, before Andrew Symonds would be next with an absolute jaffer outside off-stump, hit to Jacques Kallis at second slip. To top it off, Steyn got Peter Siddle fishing outside off-stump into the waiting gloves of Mark Boucher.
In the process, Steyn took his 150th Test wicket, ending up with figures of 5/67 from 20.2 overs, following up his five-wicket haul in the first innings. A truly marvellous display from one of the South African greats.
During the course of his illustrious 15-year test career, Dale Steyn had excellent success against all nations, none more so than against Australia. Three years earlier, the South African had reverse swung the lights of the ball in Cape Town during Australia's second innings of 47, with Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Steyn the three-headed wrecking ball.
Fast forward three years, same country, different venue and the full Steyn show would be front and centre in Australia's pursuit of 477. After a blazing start behind the effervescent David Warner and the calmness of veteran Chris Rogers, Australia gave themselves every possibility of creating history.
That belief wouldn't last as Duminy trapped Warner LBW for 66, and then Morkel and Philander sent Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh packing respectively. As Australia began to get the wobbles, Steyn's entrance back into the attack would start the rout.
With the ball reverse swinging, it would tether perfectly in Steyn's wheelhouse as he had done countless times before. Starting with the dismissal of Michael Clarke, Steyn got into a groove. A delivery later he had Steve Smith plumb LBW with an absolutely majestic inswinger - the celebrations yet again revaling those "crazy eyes."
With fuel in the fire ready to explode, his third wicket of the innings would be the best.
With his dismissal of Smith, Steyn had placed the ball on a good length allowing the ball to move. This time, he slightly got the ball fuller and with devastating effect. A sheer reverse inswinger completely shattered Brad Haddin's middle stump out of the ground. A true summation of what was occurring now to earlier in Australia's innings.
To finish, Steyn had Ryan Harris completely caught on the crease trapping him LBW. Although Umpire Kumar Dharamasena hesitantly gave him out and Harris reviewed the decision, it had little effect on the game's outcome, with South Africa on the brink of victory. Steyn would finish with figures of 4/55 in a devastating display of reverse swing bowling.
After a breakout 2007 in which he took 44 wickets, including a stellar 6/49 against New Zealand at The Centurion, Steyn would rise to greater heights, stamping himself as the best young bowler in the game.
A year that goes down as one of the greatest by any South African player, the superstar fast bowler had all opposition batsmen trembling with nervousness. Steyn finished with 74 wickets at a phenomenal average of 20.01 and a strike rate of 35.80.
Some of his spectacular bowling displays include tearing apart India's vaunted batting lineup taking 5/23 in the second test at Ahmedabad, 5/67 against Australia in the Boxing Day test propelling the Proteas to victory, 4/48 in the second innings against Bangladesh in Dhaka, and 4/76 against England at Leeds.
The then-25-year-old was at the peak of his powers as batsmen had no clue how to play him, in particular his deadly yorkers.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo after receiving the award, Steyn said: "I have had a pretty decent year I suppose but I didn't think about winning this award until the past few days. I don't really know how I feel. Perhaps tomorrow morning it will have sunk in for me because obviously this is a huge award and it's massive for me."
Steyn is one of two South Africans to win the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award - the other being the legendary Jacques Kallis (2005).
In his second series in India, Steyn made every post a winner. Having been the Proteas leading-wicket taker in the 2008 series with 15, the tearaway quick did not disappoint, tearing through the classy Indian batting lineup.
South Africa piled on the runs registering 6/558dec behind the tremendous batting displays of Hashim Amla (253 not out) and Jacques Kallis (173) before it was Styen's turn to let it rip with the ball. With India beginning to resurrect its innings at 4/221, Steyn would be brought back into the attack by captain Graeme Smith to generate a breakthrough.
And he did, not once but three more times.
Already claiming scalps of Murali Vjay and Sachin Tendulkar with two absolute corkers, Steyn left a trail of destruction to India's tail-enders. After dismissing the dogged resistance of Badrinath looking to clip him through the onside, 7.3 overs later Steyn struck again, dismissing wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha with an inswinging jaffer.
Already teetering, Steyn made sure to further dent India's hopes. Next he castled Zaheer Khan looking to play the ball. Amit Mishra would soon be back in the change rooms falling to another Steyn inswinger with his leg stump completely castled. Capping off a career-best bowling performance, Steyn had Harbajhan Singh completely stuck on the crease trapping him LBW, thus completing a vintage masterclass.
Steyn picked up another three wickets in India's second innings, finishing with a ten-wicket haul as the Proteas won by an innings and six runs. The result is only one of five victories by South Africa in India since the very first series in 1996/1997.
Throughout his career, Dale Steyn had many triumphs and plenty of adversity. From castling Marcus Trescothick's stumps for his maiden Test wicket to his 2008 Boxing Day Test feats with both ball and bat. He did it all.
However, before reaching a glorious milestone, in late 2016 the speed demon's career was hanging in the balance. Having had numerous problems with his right shoulder, the issue arose again during the second Test against Australia at the WACA.
It would be another two years before the cricketing world would see the comeback of the fearsome man. Needing another five more wickets to surpass Shaun Pollock, the magical moment came against Pakistan at The Centurion in December 2018.
With Pollock and long-time teammate Graeme Smith in the commentary box, Steyn made history in becoming South Africa's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, dismissing Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman for 17.
Speaking after the match with Supersport's Mark Nicholas, Steyn said he couldn't believe what he had accomplished.
"Standing at the top of my mark, everyone's standing up I almost pushed a tear. I didn't think it would happen but its been special," he said.
It be a fitting way to celebrate after everything he had been through with his troublesome shoulder.