Expect more than crazy eyes, bursting veins, clenched fists and loose jaws when Dale Steyn takes a wicket in the upcoming series against Bangladesh. Expect a countdown. At least until he gets to four.
That's how far Dale Steyn is from becoming the second South African after Shaun Pollock and only the 13th bowler from anywhere to take 400 Test wickets. When he gets there - and it is a when rather than an if - it will be a milestone enjoyed by everyone in the South African squad.
"Four hundred Test wickets is something that is extremely special especially because in probably every match he has played in, Dale has made some contribution," Hashim Amla, South Africa's Test captain, said. "During this series, there is no doubt that everybody else will really enjoy the success he gets. We know the amount of work he has put in and the impact he has had on this team."
Bangladesh may feel less inclined to join the celebrations. Steyn rubbed them up the wrong way months before reaching the country, when he said he would rather not "waste the few balls I have left in my career in a Bangladesh match," and was rested for the limited-overs part of the tour. Incidentally, four of those "few balls" he has left will now earn him one of cricket's most coveted honours and even though Steyn may not think much of his opposition, he will about the place.
Steyn has stood out for what he has been able to do on the subcontinent, where seam bowlers are not supposed to do so well. His 10 for 108 in Nagpur in 2010 and 9 for 99 in Galle last year are two epic examples of what a blend of pace, passion and a penchant for reverse swing can do. Steyn's average in Asia of 22.64 is only just shy of his average in Africa, 21.06, and that fact alone has others in awe.
But, for Amla, it's not the numbers that really make Steyn special, it's his nature. "The commitment he bowls with is why he has managed to be so successful. His action and his style of bowling, especially if the ball starts to reverse swing, is really dangerous," Amla said. "There's very few bowlers in the world who can be as successful on flat wickets as what Dale has been. It's a combination of everything: the way he bowls, his commitment and his hunger to put in a big performance when the team needs it."
For Steyn, there is more to achieve after 400 as well. In an interview with the Cape Times before he left South Africa, Steyn said he was eyeing something beyond the wicket count, especially as South Africa start to play more Tests this summer than usual. "Ten Test matches by the end of January. That is pretty awesome. It is what I have been waiting for for a long time now. We don't often get 10 Tests a year and now we're getting 10 in the next six months, so that's pretty cool. Ten Tests will take me to 88 Tests by the end of January if I play all of them injury-free, and then I am only a couple away from 100 and that's quite magical. It would be pretty cool to get to 100." Let the countdown begin.