CAPE TOWN, Jan 7(TOI): Mahendra Singh Dhoni lamented the fact that his team could not break the Jacques Kallis-Mark Boucher partnership on Wednesday, which effectively took away India's chances of winning the third Test and the series against South Africa.

"We had a chance when they were 130/6 and we could've been chasing 250 or 260 if we had got that one extra wicket. Then we could've done something special." Dhoni praised Kallis' effort in the match. "Kallis batted well, along with Boucher. And then Steyn came in and also batted well to take the lead beyond 300, which I thought was very difficult to achieve."

Giving his assessment of the entire series, Dhoni went back to Centurion. "If we had won the first toss of the series, it would have looked very different. It was a very crucial toss to lose." Dhoni then added that winning the toss in the third Test also did not prove too beneficial for India. "We won the toss but because of a drizzle, the ground became wet, which led to the seam of the ball becoming wet. So, our fast bowlers could not get any lateral movement. Still, it was not easy to bat on Day One because we played under lights."

About the achievements of the series, Dhoni said that coming back from being 1-0 down was the biggest plus. "Then, our fielding standard was quite good. But there are plenty of areas we need to improve and we're improving as a team."

Dhoni stressed that the team was always confident of doing well in South Africa. "We wanted to be outplayed rather than play badly. We enjoy playing well against South Africa as they are one team which has done well against us, whether here or in India. It was a special series."

Did Sehwag's poor form affect the team's performance? "Everybody looks to perform. I'm happy with the way he looked to play. You cannot guarantee performance every time. What's important is the attitude."

Dhoni also praised Gautam Gambhir for his fighting knock despite carrying a niggle on Thursday.

"We knew Gautam could do it. And he showed it with his innings today. It would have been nice if he had stayed till the end." Harbhajan Singh had mildly criticised the Indian pace attack on Wednesday for not creating enough chances on Day Four. Did Dhoni also think so? "I think they bowled well. They tried very hard but their batsmen did well."

Talking about coach Gary Kirsten, for whom this could be the last Test with the team, Dhoni said, "I wanted Gary to come for the press conference today. But it slipped out of his mind and he went home. He is getting old," Dhoni said with a smile. He added, "I don't know if this is our last Test with Gary. We had a fantastic time with him."

Graeme Smith admitted that at 130 for six, South Africa were in deep trouble. "We had our backs to the wall but that's how the whole series has been, up and down." A disappointed Smith said he expected more from the pitch on the final day, especially in the morning. "After 40 overs, it's very difficult for he bowlers as the moisture had gone out of the wicket after the first three days. The first four days, there was a massive fight for every inch. So it's disappointing we didn't have enough time to close it."

Kallis, meanwhile, said that he would be off cricket for four weeks with his side strain before starting preparations for the World Cup.