Proteas' losses to Aussies now a thing of past: Steyn

South Africa's young fast bowler Dale Steyn said Tuesday his side's frequent defeats to Australia is now a thing of the past.

South Africa won the second Test in Melbourne to clinch a series win 2-0 against Australia here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Before that the Proteas had a long history of finding a way to lose against Australia just when it appeared it could not. But Steyn insists that history does not bother the present side.

"I've only played two Test matches against Australia, so I've got no history that is looming on my back," Steyn said.

"Many of the guys on this tour also have never lost to Australia, so there is a fresh breed of players here who are not really worried about the history.

"We're more worried about the way we play our cricket and what we've come to achieve on this tour and how we're going to get there, which is the most important thing for us. We're not too fazed about what's happened in the past."

Steyn emerged as a hero in the Melbourne Test with a remarkable 10-wicket effort. His 5-87 and 5-67 in the two innings gave him an extraordinary 74 Test wickets for 2008.

Steyn, who was raised in the obscure mining town of Phalaborwa, in the footprint of the Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa, became the fourth-fastest bowler to 150 Test wickets Monday when he got the wicket of Peter Siddle.

He loves escaping into nature with his favourite fishing rod and camping gear. Interestingly, the man who has an Afrikaner name but can't speak Afrikaans.

In a game at the start of his first-class career, he was told to bowl yorkers but started delivering bouncers because he could not understand the language.

He now plots his bowling plans perfectly, with handwritten study notes he has made on the world's best batsmen.

Last updated on Dec 30^th, 2008 at 18:16 pm IST--IANS