Jacques Kallis *Spoilers (SA vs NZ)*

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So Jacques Kallis has reached 13,000 test runs in the lowest number of tests and second lowest number of innings (behind Tendulkar).

He's only the fourth person to do so and has the highest average of all four.

Now I know most people regard SRT as the greatest of his generation (and a lot seem to view him as better than Bradman and therefore the best ever) but surely Kallis deserves to be viewed as being right up there with him? I guess it's somewhat churlish and we should just enjoy watching a player of such class but it's an interesting discussion nonetheless.

With Tendulkar seemingly in decline, there seems a very real possibility that Kallis could overtake him in terms of test match centuries assuming he continues for another couple of years and keeps up decent form (currently on 44 vs 51).

Oh and did I forget to mention that he has 282 test wickets?

What a player...

On a slightly different note, NZ look beyond ordinary. England should hopefully fill their boots in the same way as SA are when they play against them shortly.
 
Jaques Henry Kallis is, in my opinion, the best player of the generation. Better than Lara, Tendulkar, Dravid and Ponting.

I don't know if you could differentiate the batting of these great players in Tests. In ODIs Tendulkar is the king of them all. But Jacques Kallis with nearly 300 Test wickets pushes himself above the others. He's good enough to be in the team on his batting alone, and on his bowling alone.

I don't think he'll catch Tendulkar up though. Kallis 37, so he'd need to score another 2500 runs before age catches up with him (which it inevitably will).
 
Agreed on the total runs front but (I'll jinx him here!) he looks almost nailed on for another century today which would put him 6 behind Tendulkar.

Best all rounder ever? Sobers had a slightly better batting average but slightly worse bowling average. Only played 2/3s the number of tests as Kallis so obviously quite a bit behind on totals...
 
It's close between him and Sobers.

But I guess it speaks volumes about him as a player when he's contesting both greatest all rounder ever and greatest batsman of his generation.

He'll only be 6 tons behind Tendulkar. But South Africa are playing one more Test in this series, then 3 Tests against Pak. Then there's no Tests until India come to visit at the end of this year. So Kallis will only be playing 6 Tests this year. Who knows. Tendulkar's decline was very rapid, he was in excellent touch all through out 2011 (even though he missed that damn hundred so many times!), but suddenly in August 2012 the runs dried up.
 
Kallis is something else, a very good player all round.

NZ out for 45 in the first innings against SA in the first test..surely that must be a record for the lowest first innings score ever in test cricket??
 
Not quite, SA hold that honour too with 36 v Australia in 1932. The lowest ever innings score is 26 by NZ in 1955.

Ta, should really check cricinfo for those sort of stats myself.

On another note Paks beat India in the 2nd ODI by 86 runs, absolutely walloped them and have won the series...its been a long time coming for Paks to finally get one over on our old rivals.

Wonder how Centurion is feeling??:p
 
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