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Almost the finished article Wisden CricInfo staff - November 25, 2001
Centurion, Day 3, Lunch
It was another two-hour grind for the Indians as the South African batsmen went about their task relentlessly.
Jacques Kallis was a treat to watch, especially his balance while playing strokes. The other noteworthy aspect of his batting was his decisive footwork. Very rarely does one find a stutter, either on the front foot or on the back.
Barry Richards once said that Kallis does not progress like a great batsman: once a great batsman is set, he should be virtually unstoppable. Now that's a valid criticism and I entirely agree with Barry's line of thinking. And unless he becomes a dominant batsman, he will find acceptance among the true greats of South Africa difficult to come by.
Lance Klusener may have had very good reasons for employing an unorthodox stance - legs spread far apart. But whatever his reasons, it certainly does not give him the freedom to use his feet the way he should, putting much of the onus on his hand-eye co-ordination. And if one were to go by what has transpired in this series, Klusener is not blessed with great hands and eyes. He is the batsman he is because of his ability to pack a lot of power in his strokeplay. Sooner or later he will have to his review his stance and make necessary amendments to it.
One felt sorry looking at Anil Kumble's plight. He looks woefully out of form and a shadow of the bowler he was prior to the injury. He has a temper which gets the better of him at times, but in adverse conditions it has not affected his bowling. He showed excellent control over his temperament and has been a great example for youngsters watching him struggle with his form and bowling.
It would be fair to say now that even on friendlier pitches in India Kumble is unlikely to be as much of a threat he was if he continues in the form he has shown in South Africa. But then England are a vastly inexperienced side and Kumble's reputation on Indian tracks is too colossal to dismiss him easily.
Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to H Natarajan.
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