Published: Aug 23, 2015, 08:35 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2015, 12:01 AM (IST)
The end of the ongoing second Test between India and Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval will also mark the conclusion of a glorious cricketing career. Kumar Sangakkara, epitome of grace, style and substance, will walk away from the sport, making it poorer. Sangakkara has been a perfect blend of a modern cricketer — a resolute Test cricketer who was also enjoyed success in limited-overs cricket. With slam-bang batting overshadowing the conventional version, it is tough to even imagine that we will witness batsmen who would strike the right balance, says Devarchit Varma.
To understand how good Kumar Sangakkara was as a batsman, one does not need to do an in-depth study. Looking at the numbers that he has garnered in the last two years would be enough to concede that cricket will be a poor game as soon as Sangakkara walks away. Since August 2013, Sangakkara has averaged 61.16 in 17 Tests. He has smashed 1,896 runs with five centuries and 10 half-centuries. In the same span, he had amassed 2,436 runs at 55.36 with nine hundreds and 14 fifties. Five of these were registered in the 2015 Cricket World Cup itself. ALSO READ: Kumar Sangakkara — one of the very best ever
The career numbers are mind-boggling. While a career average of 57.71 is astounding, his 67.13 when he did not keep wickets is overwhelming, for barring Don Bradman’s near-unbelievable average, none has come even close — even in this era of big scores. ALSO READ: #ThankYouSanga: Virat Kohli keeps cricket’s innocence alive
We have seen men play the same sport but with different motives. Sachin Tendulkar wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible; Ricky Ponting wanted to hang on long enough for the next generation to come up; while Brian Lara did not stretch his career after he stopped enjoying. They all wanted to go out on their terms. Sangakkara is indeed getting to leave the game on a high as well. ALSO READ: Kumar Sangakkara – Most runs between dismissals in World Cup matches
Sangakkara was one of those men who enjoyed success throughout his career. If he was the clinical amasser in flannels, he was one of the most destructive in coloured gear. Nothing could stop him — he played alike in conditions that suited batting and in those that did not. There was no stopping Sangakkara.
Though they seldom show it the way other teams from the subcontinent do, Sri Lankans are as passionate about their cricket as the others in the Asian countries are. Sangakkara, led his team, even in World Cup 2011 final against India in their backyard; he never flinched in adversities; in fact, he taught the tiny island nation to embrace the sport in a manner never seen before.
He had his own frailties (they say he has his weaknesses against slow bowlers when he started off), but none strong enough to hamper his career. He was an excellent man behind the wickets when he donned the wicketkeeping gloves. He was one of the most prolific sledgers behind the wickets, but his words, just like a lawyer’s, were seldom personal.
He was an astute leader as well — a personality who commanded and not demanded respect from his countrymen. It is a shame that a player of such stature has only one World Cup win to his name. But then, this was Sanga — the man who took it all in his stride.
The world of cricket will be poorer as he walks away. There are not many as prosperous or proficient across formats. There are Steven Smith and Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson and Joe Root — potential flag-bearers with bat for next decade or so. But their roles will never be as versatile as Sangakkara’s — as batsman and wicketkeeper and captain and strategist. And of course, there was that cheeky smile — the one that lit up the field whenever cameras panned close down on him.
It is a shame that there is an end to everything. It is a shame that Sangakkara is walking away — even though he is on top of his performance — never to return.
(Devarchit Varma is a reporter with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
