Johannesburg: Young Sreesanth, who recorded career-best figures (five for 40) in the first innings of the opening Test, thanked South African icon Allan Donald for offering the most helpful tips.

“This morning, I got the courage to go up to him and speak a few words... Dennis Lillee is my idol, but I grew up watching Donald on the TV... He’s my dream bowler... He asked me to stick to the basics and not try too hard... That I should aim to only bowl in the right areas... It helped,” Sreesanth revealed on Saturday evening.

He acknowledged that overcast conditions at the start of South Africa’s innings helped and accepted he’d begun to “stray” after taking three wickets. “My teammates told me not to try too hard and it worked... Their encouragement took me to five wickets... It’s important to bowl the right length and stay patient.”

Sreesanth, who has the habit of ‘visualising’ the wicket on match-eve, added: “We aren’t looking back on the past and the mood is positive... We’re enjoying ourselves and, so, the (0-4) defeat in the ODIs isn’t on our minds...”

Interacting briefly with The Telegraph, Sreesanth said he dedicated his performance to “all Indians.” He continued: “We’ve never won a Test in South Africa... So, it will be great if what I’ve done helps...”