Jacques Kallis. Photo / Getty Images.
JOHANNESBURG - South African batting great Jacques Kallis has become the eighth member of Test cricket's 10,000-run club, admitting: "It does mean a lot to me."
Who could blame one of the game's true superstars for savouring the moment on day two of the first Test against Australia?
"It's really
important I think," Kallis said after Australia made 466 and South Africa went to stumps at 3-85 in reply, including 27 from Kallis.
"Looking back at the career when I started if someone had said that I would have got 10,000 Test runs I would have taken that with both hands and I probably wouldn't have believed them.
"It does mean a lot to me but to be honest with you the difference between 9999 and 10,000 is one run. But it's probably something I'll look back on when I've finished the game and I'll appreciate it more than I do now."
Kallis pushed a single to cover off the bowling of Peter Siddle to move to 12 not out, raising his bat to the roaring Wanderers Stadium crowd as the scoreboard flashed up the announcement of his 10,000th run.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is also in the exclusive club, was quick to shake the 33-year-old batsman's hand.
The list is headed by India's Sachin Tendulkar on 12,429 and includes Australians Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ponting.
Kallis was later out caught by Mike Hussey in the gully off Siddle's bowling, to lift his tally in 129 matches to 10,015 runs.
"I'll just play as long as I keep enjoying the game and if it happens it happens and if not, so be it. It's certainly not something that I'll be chasing after," the Cape Town product said when asked about Tendulkar's world record.
Kallis said he was thrilled to receive Ponting's congratulations on the field.
"Very nice. Obviously he has done it as well so he does know what it feels like. I appreciated that," Kallis said.
Captain Graeme Smith, 28, said it was fantastic achievement.
"For a large part of his career he had to carry South Africa's batting and it is this longevity which is one of the signs of true greatness," Smith said.
"If you add in his 250 wickets and his 100-plus catches (252 and 142 after Australia's first innings), you get a good idea of what a giant of the game he has become."
- AAP
