Graeme Smith dedicates win to Jacques Kallis

Graeme Smith, after taking over the reins of South Africa in 2003, aged just 21 has come a long way. He has captained more Test matches than any other captain in history.

The only remaining piece from the galaxy of superstars that Smith saw when he made his debut is Jacques Kallis.

Having seen the highs and lows of Smith and been an important unofficial member, the proteas captain saluted the king dedicated South Africa’s win to the outgoing legend.

“We wanted to win it for Jacques. Ultimately, we wanted to make sure that his farewell is a fitting tribute to him. The pitch made it a little difficult, and certainly we had to work hard, considering that we lost so much time in the Test,” Smith said at the press conference after South Africa beat India by 10-wickets on the fifth and final day to clinch the two-match series 1-0.

“India too played well on a good day one wicket, they were 180-odd for one. The way we turned it around from that point is a huge achievement for us. The kind of performance the team has put together over a period of time, and conducted itself tell a lot and does not require me to tell anything more,” he said.

Smith said his team will never be able find a replacement for Kallis.

“I think we are never going to replace Jacques. He’s worth more than 13,000 runs, nearly 300 wickets and 200 catches. He’s a top class personality and the experience he brings to the side is irreplaceable. The way forward is to get tactically smart in the next Test match,” said the Protea captain.