Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar: How they compare

Ankit Banerjee compares two contemporary legends of the game — Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

Next to Don Bradman’s ridiculous average of 99.95 comes Graeme Pollock at No 2 with 60.97 if we take the cut-off as minimum of 20 innings played in Tests. Juxtapose those figures with Kumar Sangakkara, before he commenced playing his farewell Test, now being played at Colombo against India: 85 Tests as a pure batsman [not keeping wickets] in which he scored 9233 runs at a staggering average of 67.39. This one stat, in a sea of astounding volume of work in his career, is suffice to put the Sri Lankan among the pantheons of the greats. Had he not donned the big gloves in 48 Tests, Sangakkara could have enjoyed an even more staggering average. [Also Read: 15 memorable quotes by Kumar Sangakkara]

As he signs off in a few days’ time, it’s worth taking a look at his overall numbers prior to his farewell Test and see how it measures up against the great Sachin Tendulkar:

Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in Tests

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Sangakkara averages much higher than Tendulkar, but what is not evident in the above stats is the Sri Lankan’s consistency right through his career. Barring his debut year in 2000 when he averaged 24.86 from four Tests, there has been just two calendar years when his average dipped under 40 — in 32.46 in 2005, and 39.45 in 2008. On the other hand, Tendulkar has experienced some inexplicable dips. In his last two years of cricket, Tendulkar’s form was ordinary. He scored at 23.80 in 2012 and 34.50 in 2013. Of course, one cannot forget the fact that Tendulkar career spanned much longer —24 years.  Sangakkara rides into the sunset when people are asking “why” and not “why not” because he is still a top gun in international cricket. [Also Read: Legend Kumar Sangakkara receives Guard of Honour in his last Test in Colombo]

Sachin Tendulkar’s home and away records

Tendulkar has not averaged below 40 in any country. His lowest average is in Zimbabwe —40. Throughout Tendulkar’s playing days, Australia were undoubtedly the toughest of opponents and excelling against them in their backyard was exceptional. The Little Master scored runs at 53.20 in the 20 Tests that he played Down Under.

Kumar Sangakkara’s home and away records:

Sangakkara has got runs all around the world, but there is wider gap between the home-away record than Tendulkar. In India, Sangakkara averages just 36.50 and hasn’t been very successful in South Africa and West Indies too, where he has scored runs at 35.75 and 34 respectively.

Pundits rate overseas performances highly than home, especially the in English and Australian conditions. While Tendulkar averages over 54 in England, Sangakkara has scored runs at just over 41. In Australia, Sangakkara averages over 60, but has played only five Tests compared to Tendulkar’s 20 Tests. [Also Read: One legend talks about another: Sachin Tendulkar hails Kumar Sangakkara’s batsmanship]

Also, Tendulkar has faced a variety of world class bowling in Australia: from Merv Hughes to Shane Warne to Glenn McGrath to Brett Lee to Jason Gillespie to Mitchell Johnson. He has mastered all.

Sangakkara’s 192 at Hobart in 2007, is regarded as one of the greatest knocks played Down Under by a visiting player. With little more support from other batsmen, he would have won Sri Lanka the Test by chasing down 507! For Tendulkar, there is that hundred at Perth in 1991-92 season and the double century at Sydney in 2004.

Technically, Tendulkar is regarded as the game’s most complete batsman. Sangakkara too has all the shots in the book and more often than not made it count with his bat. He got those big double hundreds — he is just one behind Bradman. Tendulkar managed six doubles compared to Sangakkara’s 11. The elegant left-hander also has a triple hundred, something no Indian other than Virender Sehwag has achieved.

What works in Tendulkar’s favour is that he has faced the likes McGrath, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Brett Lee, Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Warne, Muralitharan, Curtly Ambrose and the others at their prime.

There can be multiple arguments presented to prove Tendulkar was the best, but Sangakkara camp can indisputable claim that the Indian maestro had the comforts of a batting line-up that comprised the likes of Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin. For Sri Lanka, throughout Sangakkara’s tenure, the fortunes of the side relied on him and Mahela Jayawardene.

To put it in a nutshell: There is very little to choose between two men who were the finest by a long way from their respective countries.

(A cricket geek to the tee, Ankit Banerjee smokes and snorts it all day long. The romance with the sport incepted since the 1996 World Cup semi-final. He is a winner of the 2011 edition of the All-India college cricket quiz.)