Share

Steyn: Aussies shouldn't feel embarrassed

Cape Town - Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn believes that Australia shouldn't feel "too embarrassed" after their batting collapse during the first ODI at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.

The Proteas went on to defeat the hosts by six wickets in the first of three ODIs between the two nations.

READ: Steyn lauds Proteas' 'hot' bowling attack

Steyn, who received the man-of-the-match award for his figures of 2/18 in 7 overs, helped his side bundled out Australia for 152 in 38.1 overs.

READ: Australia facing 'self-doubt' after latest collapse: Finch

But the Proteas speedster felt the hosts should be too hard on themselves. 

"I don't think they need to be too embarrassed about it. The conditions were tough and if you throw another 30-40 runs that would become quite a tricky chase," Steyn told reporters on Sunday.

"I think we out-bowled them. I don't think their bowled as well as they potentially could've. That was the difference.

"I think our bowlers were relentless with their lines and lengths and made it extremely difficult to score," he added.

"When they tried to push and go, they lost a wicket so I'm going to put it down to our bowling and not their side. But we'll see there's still two more games and we'll see how those wickets go."

The Proteas victory only added to what has been a horrible year for the men from Down Under.

Even before they lost Steve Smith and David Warner and Cameron Bancroft  to suspensions for ball tampering, they lost a five-match ODI series to England at home 4-1.

Since then, they have been swept 5-0 by England in England, and now, under new captain Aaron Finch, the beginning to the home series against South Africa has been far from ideal.

The second ODI is on Friday at the Adelaide Oval (04:00 SA time).

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 891 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 435 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE