"It was a big shock for me. I found out two days ago. I guess he had been planning this for some time and maybe this news gave me 10 per cent more inspiration to get fit and play this match. He is a very good friend of mine and I didn't want to miss his last match," Morkel added.
Quite clearly, South Africa want to give Kallis a resounding farewell and to do that, they need to beat India at this ground, where they have lost their last four Tests.
"To be honest, we didn't talk about the past record. We can't control that. When we arrived here, we heard about Kallis and with how we finished at Wanderers, we were pumped up for this game. To me it doesn't matter if we bat or bowl first, we need to make a good start. And it will be crucial what we do tomorrow morning," Morkel said.
"I hope we don't lose too many overs because of the weather. I hope it is a good Test and a good farewell (for Kallis)," he signed off.
Updated on: December 27, 2013 13:54 IST
