Even before the start of the series, it was a no-brainer that South Africa would use their strong pace attack to put a dent on the Indian batting line-up. That they have done and how. It was young Kagiso Rabada’s last over thriller that negated India a win in the series opener in Kanpur; and the pacers backed it up with disciplined bowling plans in the second ODI at Indore - until MS Dhoni scored a monumental unbeaten 92. In the third ODI at Rajkot, they didn’t allow two of India’s best finishers - Virat Kohli and Dhoni get a win from a strong position. Not surprisingly, it has been SA’s pace attack that has done all the talking on pitches that hardly give them assistance. “The major thing about our quick bowlers is that all our three quick bowlers are over 140kmph. When the guys are steaming in they are bowling really quickly,” replied Dale Steyn when asked about the reasons behind the success of South Africa’s pace battery. “They are bowling at 145kmph plus. Pace on the ball makes it really tough especially in these conditions. In the 25th to 30th over, when the ball gets really soft and the pitch starts to crumble up a bit, it gets a bit difficult to get the quicker bowlers away,” reasoned Steyn. Elaborating further, the fast bowler said, “Guys who bowl under 140 or 135 or 130kmph now, it seems to be slightly easier to face. I think pace is the main weapon at the end of the day even if the pitch is really slow. The ball comes out of the hand at 145kmph, hits the deck and slows down tremendously, and it is quite difficult to get away.” “Pace on the ball has been the big factor for us. I have always felt that if you run in and bowl yorkers and miss your length to especially a guy like MS Dhoni, he is going to hit you out of the park. There is no easier delivery to face than one that is a half volley. On these pitches where it really slows down you can use your bouncer and your slower cutter and your hard length delivery.” Also, something that has worked for the bowlers this series is the new powerplay rules according to Steyn. An extra fielder at the boundary is making all the difference he said. “I think guys realised after the World cup that it was difficult to bowl the last ten overs. Before the last World cup in Australia and New Zealand you had never seen scores of 380 or 400 on a regular basis and it is all because of that one guy - that extra fielder out of the circle. “Having that extra fielder does help a lot more and the contest between the bat and ball has become a lot more even. Teams can’t just run away from the 40th to the 50th over. You have to think and play extraordinary shots. Someone like AB de Villiers who can play those laps and scoops can use those shots when you bring the third man up. With the extra man out, you can cover that midwicket area now. With that extra guy out, it is really difficult to try and hit over that boundary. In the World cup you couldn’t have that guy, you had to bring that fine leg up or third man up on quicker pitches. Guys were able to cut or paddle and now you are left with only one shot - the big slog over midwicket. If there is a guy out there, it is going for six or its out. There is big risk. As a unit we bowled really well from overs 30-50 and we took control of the game. Some guys get wickets and get all the accolades but as a unit we contributed more to that.” But what has been noteworthy about this South African bowling attack is the way each one has stood up to their roles and responsibilities. Morne Morkel did it for the team in the previous game with a match-winning bowling performances picking four, while it was young Kagiso Rabada who held his nerve in the first ODI and has grabbed all the eyeballs of late.”I think he is great,” Steyn said of Rabada. “He has got a great attitude. He has everything that a fast bowler needs. He has got pace, a good build; he is a tall intimidating guy. He asks a lot of questions in the nets and he is asking the right questions. He wants to improve all the time. Every time he takes the ball, it is exciting to watch him bowl. Everyone sits up on their seats when he comes on to bowl. He has got that attention around him already. I think he will have a wonderful career.” The visitors have an edge over India with a 2-1 lead in the series. They have all the intentions of sealing the series in Chennai itself. “It would be nice to go to Mumbai sealing the series. We have spoken about it long and hard in team chats where we want to go overseas and dominate oppositions. We stand a big chance now to be able to do that. If we play good cricket, we can win it.”