Jacques Kallis - Five greatest performances of the South African legend

Glancing through five of the best performances of the South African all-rounder who remains one of the greatest to play the game.

If only statistics were the basis of evaluating the cricketer’s talent then there would be no doubt that Jacques Henry Kallis would be the greatest international cricketer to play the game. Till date, the South African all-rounder is the only cricketer in the history of the game to have scored more than 10,000 runs and to have taken more than 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs.

Born on 16th October 1975 in Cape Town, Kallis was a popular player in his school team of Wynberg with his all-round skills. The stocky cricketer earned his Test and ODI debut for the nation in early 1996 but failed to impress straight away. It took around two years for Kallis to come into his own and show the world what talent he possessed.

Over the years, Jacques Kallis became the symbol of stability as he adapted his game to be the anchor in the South African batting lineup. While other batsmen played their natural game, the all-rounder grafted his way to ensure team’s safety first. Contributing with both bat and ball, the South African legend soared high into the list of world-class players. Before retiring in 2014, Kallis was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the year in 2013.

The all-rounder has provided numerous brilliant performances in his stellar career. Here are his five best performances.

#5 Standing tall against Warne and Mcgrath to save the Test - 1997

The greatest test of Jacques Kallis’ patience and temperament came fittingly against the most formidable opponent. In the opening Test of the 1997-98 series against Australia, South Africa was trapped in a corner as they needed to bat out the fifth day against a fearsome Aussie bowling lineup to save the match.

Batting on an overnight score of 40, Kallis anchored himself on the pitch and denied the Australian bowling attack every opportunity of sneaking back in the Test. The number three batsman held the fort for almost six hours and scored a magnificent 101 against the bowling attack that comprised of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Michael Kasprowicz.

The game was ultimately drawn and Jacques Kallis was named as the Man of the Match. The South African cricket discovered a new hero who would save them from danger for the next 16 years.

#4 Winning the only ICC trophy for South Africa - 1998

Kallis' all-round performance helped South Africa win its first ICC trophy

In 1998, ICC staged the inaugural version of the Champions Trophy in Bangladesh. The tournament was named the Wills International Cup and was also referred to as ICC Knockouts. All eight major cricket teams were slated for the knockout games and three consecutive wins were needed to claim the trophy.

South Africa won the quarterfinal against England and moved into the semifinal round. Batting first against Sri Lanka at Dhaka, the African nation tottered to 87/4. Kallis owned the situation and scored a blistering match-winning knock of 113 from 100 balls with five sixes while rest of the batsmen struggled to score at a decent pace. The sturdy right-hander won the Man of the Match award for his performance.

In the final, South Africa confronted West Indies. The Caribbean team coasted to 180/4 in 35 overs and then Kallis arrived at the scene. With his medium-pace bowling, the all-rounder ran through the batting order of West Indies and grabbed 5/30 in 7.5 overs. The spell proved match-winning as South Africa lifted their only ICC Trophy.

#3 Winning a Test match single-handedly against West Indies - 1999

Kallis' brilliant all-round showing helped South Africa trounce West Indies

An all-rounder is a player who can contribute with both bat and ball so even if he fails in one discipline, he can make up in the other. Jacques Kallis, however, excelled in both and the best example of his ability was on display in the fourth Test against West Indies at Cape Town in 1999.

Coming out to bat on the second ball of the Test after early fall of the opener Gary Kirsten, Kallis scored a spectacular 110 in the company of Daryl Cullinan. The duo raised a partnership of 235 runs and took South Africa to a first inning score of 406/8 declared.

In South Africa’s second innings, Kallis once again proved to be the unmovable rock as he scored a courageous 88 when the team at one stage was struggling at 31/3. As if his batting spectacle was not enough, the all-rounder scalped 5/90 in the final innings to skittle West Indies. Hosts cruised to a 149-run victory riding on the spectacular showing of Jacques Kallis.

#2 Defying Muralitharan in his own backyard - 2003

J Kallis scored a match-winning 87 in the Kandy Test against Sri Lanka

In the 2003 Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa was trailing the three-match series by 1-0 going into the second Test at Kandy. Lance Klusener saved the touring team in the first innings after an initial collapse of 34/5. Sri Lanka gained a decisive lead of 53 runs and the African nation now faced an uphill task of batting on the dust bowl against the greatest spin bowler ever.

Kallis came out to bat in the sixth over as Sri Lanka prized out the opener, Neil McKenzie. The sturdy defender saw as many as six batsmen losing their wickets at the other end. When Kallis got out for 87 from 208 balls, his four-hour innings had taken the visiting team to a position of safety.

The South African tailenders added crucial late runs and Sri Lanka had to chase 177 runs to win the Test. The home team crumbled and lost the match by seven runs. Kallis’ defiant knock was rated as one of the best against a quality bowling attack.

#1 Wiping out England’s batting lineup - 2003

Jacques Kallis ripped apart England's batting lineup with a spell of 6/54

A five-match Test series between hosts England and South Africa stood at a deadlock of 1-1 after the first three Test matches. In the fourth Test at Leeds, Headingley, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. Kallis was out only for six runs as the African team scored 342 runs.

Kallis shone with the ball and snared three important wickets of the English batting unit and helped the team get a 35-run lead. The all-rounder scored 41 when batting for the second time and England had to score 401 runs to win the Test match.

Registering his best bowling figures in Test cricket, Kallis ran through the English resistance and claimed six wickets for 54 runs. Kallis’ six victims contained Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, and two others. England crashed to 209 all out as South Africa celebrated a mammoth 191-run victory.