Jacques Kallis has never been a very expressive man and his muted celebration after crossing Don Bradman’s mark of 29 centuries came as no surprise. Friday’s century was about more than mere statistics though.For a player of his class, Kallis’s performance in the sub-continent initially had left a lot to be desired. He had been dismissed by either Harbhajan Singh or Anil Kumble in six of his 10 innings in India. His record against slow bowlers in Sri Lanka isn’t much better — pacers having dismissed him just twice in 10 knocks.But after a disappointing show on the flat Chennai track, he came into his own in Motera, providing the backbone to South Africa’s massive first innings total.Speaking to The Indian Express after scoring his 30th Test century, Kallis said: “You need great patience to bat here. One has to make certain adjustments in technique to succeed. And the amount of experience I have in these conditions helped me a lot, I have gained something from each tour here.” Today though, he did not have to bother much about the turning ball. Kallis admitted that he was disappointed to get out at 132. “I wish I had carried on. But I am happy for AB (de Villiers),” he said.Kallis has invariably managed to get the best out of his younger team mates and today was no different. “During my initial years, I was helped by my seniors. Their guidance played a big role in developing my game. Now I try to help the youngsters, give them as many tips as possible. I enjoy doing this,” said the all-rounder.
