Kirsten retired from the cricket

Gary Kirsten, the former South African opener and current Indian coach, is watching the Indian team play its last match under his watch today at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. That the match happens to be the World Cup final is a testament to the veteran South African star's coaching ability.

At the last practice session before the final Kirsten led the Indian team through its final drills before the big game. It was an emotional moment for the inspirational coach who is on the verge of leading the Indian cricket team to its second world cup victory.

He took over three years ago at a time when the Indians were facing a hard time in international cricket.

Kirsten's tensure saw India become the number one test team in the world. The 43-year old hard hitting opening batsman expressed his feelings about taking the team India to the pinnacle of the World cup by saying that he was keeping his fingers crossed.

Kirsten retired from the cricket after making his mark as one of the finest opening batsmen in the game. Herschelle Gibbs who shared the crease with Kirsten for South Africa over the years praised the dedication and hard work that marks Kirsten as an exemplary coach.

The Indian captain, M.S Dhoni, was all praise for the coach as well. He said that whether India wins or loses the final, Kirsten will be remembered for his quiet enthusiasm as a coach and excellent leadership.

Kirsten will not renew his contract with the Indian team owing to personal commitments, citing family as the main reason. If India wins against Sri Lanka today, it will be the perfect ending to an illustrious run. He will achieve the dream of winning the world cup as a coach, something which he failed at as a player.