Nortje still not at his best

Rajkot: Anrich Nortje knows a thing or two about what Umran Malik experienced in the recently-concluded IPL-instant stardom after producing express pace.
Like Malik, who became the cynosure of all eyes by consistently clocking speeds of above 150kmph, Nortje shot into the limelight when, playing for the Delhi Capitals, he fired a 156.22 kmph stunner to Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler in a match in IPL-2020. However, the South African is not looking to enter into any sort of a ‘pace war’ with Malik, who is yet to make his India debut, despite being picked for this series, in future, and is focused on winning games for his team with the ball instead.
“Malik is a very good, very fast bowler. He showed what he can do in the IPL. I don’t think we are at the stage where we are competing to bowl the fastest balls; it is about winning games and trying to contribute,” Nortje said on the eve of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa here on Thursday.
Coming off a long injury layoff, Nortje, who was retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of South African pace bowling colleague Kagiso Rabada, is still trying to find his groove. “I am still not there. I am still working on it, still trying to find one or two things. Body wise I am still not hundred percent, slowly building it up. I would probably rate myself from where I was at the end of the IPL last year and start of the T20 World Cup. Still trying to get there,” said the 28-year-old.
Resuming cricket after a six-month injury hiatus due to a stress fracture, the Proteas pace ace, who enjoyed breakthrough IPL seasons in 2020 and 2021, forming a deadly pace bowling combination with Rabada for the Delhi Capitals, has been a pale shadow of his normally lethal self in the past few months. In the IPL, he managed to take nine wickets in six games@24.11, but his economy rate was 9.91. In the India-SA series, he has conceded 95 runs in 10 overs, while taking just three wickets in three matches.