The South African seamer arrived in New Zealand with a well-earned reputation for excellence. In just four tests he had taken 30 wickets at the 19th century-like average of 13.23.
Philander (26) was back in wicket-taking mode on the second day of the test against New Zealand in Dunedin yesterday with four for 50 and every chance he will pick up a fifth five-wicket bag when the match resumes today.
You certainly would not bet against it with only Chris Martin, who has become somewhat of a cult hero for his lack of batting prowess, and Trent Boult remaining at the wicket for the home side.
So what is about Philander?
Well, he bowls at a lively rather than express pace but it is his control which sets him apart, team-mate Morne Morkel said.
"Vernon is just a freak with his consistency with the ball and ability to move the ball both ways," Morkel said.
"And he has a slippery bouncer so he is a really tough bowler to face up front with the new ball, especially when you have another guy like Dale Steyn on the other side with the pressure they can create.
"He is a guy who is just trying to keep it as simple as possible and land it in a very good area and let the ball do the talking. To have him in your side is fantastic."
New Zealand top-order batsman Brendon McCullum was also full of praise.
"I thought he bowled outstandingly early on, and with the lengths he hit and the questions he asked with the ball moving back into us was incredibly difficult [to combat]," he said.
