Kumar Sangakkara: Statistically, the greatest Test batsman since Don Bradman?

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Kumar Sangakkara became 8th highest run scorer in test matches with 36 centuries

The game of cricket has witnessed many batting greats and among all of those, Donald Badman of Australia with a monumental average of 99.94 is regarded as the best. Having played only fewer Test matches than many modest performers of modern times, the Australian earned this name because of his consistency with the bat – 6996 runs in just 80 innings.

Even though majority of his runs came against one opposition – England, his feat will remain as an everlasting record that can never be broken.

In this world, people love comparisons, hence, many great batsmen who entertained the ardent cricket fans with their talents were time and again compared with Bradman, and debated as best of all times.

Coming back to Kumar Sangakkara, he has silently entered a league of legends from being just a modern great with consistency that reflects in his average. For someone who was part of 123* Test matches, averaging 58.53 is not the simplest thing to do. That puts him on No.5 in the all time highest career averages in test cricket history. (minimum 25 test caps)

Interestingly, no one above him in that list have played more Tests than the Sri Lankan.

Player	Matches	Innings	Not Outs	Runs	Average	Highest	100s
Donald Bradman (Aus)	52	80	10	6996	99.94	334	29
Herbert Sutclifee (Eng)	54	84	9	4555	60.73	194	16
Ken Barrington (Eng)	82	131	15	6806	58.67	256	20
Everton Weekes (WI)	48	81	5	4455	58.61	207	15
Kumara Sangakkara (SL)	123*	210	17	11298	58.53	319	36

The fact that Sangakkara kept wickets for a brief span of his career weights more value to this left-hander’s record. When split down his performances based on his role in the side, Sangakkara’s average makes an upward rise and lies only next to Bradman’s

	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score	100s
As wicket-keeper	48	3117	40.48	230	7
As specialist batsmen	75	8181	70.52	319	29
Total	123*	11298	58.53	319	36

When he started off, he was just a genuine, qualified Test player. As a wicket-keeper, his batting exploits were a bonus for his side then. When the south-paw gave away his gloves to stake a claim in the side as a pure batsmen, not many would have predicted a miraculous turn around in his numbers. The fact that he is capable and talented is not something people would differ on, but if you ask for a frank view on his career that is now reaching more heights with every innings, even a die-hard Sri Lankan fan wouldn’t have thrown his money on him to be standing at this level towards the end of his career.

However, Sangakkara failed to attract more fans to his batting that highly resembles a hard worker toiling with his tools than an artist, exhibiting his array of strokes. Here, he falls behind his fellow modern greats lead by Sachin Tendulkar.

He has similarities in approach to his innings to Rahul Dravid’s. Both of them try to blunt the attacking instinct of a bowler and forces them to bowl to his strength to score runs, but despite being a left hander, he cannot match’s Dravid’s easiness on your eyes with his strokes. But Sangakkara has the numbers that tilts the advantage to his side.

As a batsmen, the 36-year-old clearly outnumbers all other leading batsmen of his time including Sachin Tendulkar, with a superior average.

Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest	100s
Australia	7	764	63.66	192	1
Bangladesh	10	1612	124.00	319	7
England	9	657	43.80	152	3
India	9	937	66.92	219	4
New Zealand	8	606	55.09	156*	3
Pakistan	15	1803	75.12	211	6
South Africa	9	1079	63.47	287	3
West Indies	6	442	55.25	150	1
Zimbabwe	2	281	140.25	270	1

When considering the home and away record of Sangakkara as a batmen, it reveals that his average dips by more than 13 runs per dismissal, but still 64 in away games is more than what a team needs from a batsmen.

Venue	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest	100s
Home	39	4283	77.87	287	16
Away	30	3216	64.32	319	11
Neutral	6	682	62.00	211	2

Even as a wicket-keeper he manages fifth place among the best in the world.

Player	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score	100s
Andy Flower (Zim)	55	4404	53.70	192	12
Adam Gilchrist (Aus)	96	5570	47.60	204	17
Les Ames (Eng)	44	2387	43.40	149	9
Matt Prior (Eng)	75	3920	40.83	131*	7
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)	48	3117	40.48	230	7
MS Dhoni (Ind)	83	4459	38.77	224	6
Brad Haddin (Aus)	57	3033	35.26	169	4
Alec Stewart (Eng)	82	4540	34.92	173	6
Brendon McCullm (NZ)	52	2803	34.18	185	5

Here comes the important part, even though he may have a great away record, he only have a modest overall average of 37.05 in England. Strangely he averages more against Australia in Australia but just a meagre 30.45 at home. Against India he has a poor average of 36.50 in six away tests. But, he has thoroughly dominated Pakistan and Bangladesh at home. He averages a 92.41 and Bangladesh 114.77, scoring over 1000 runs against each of them.

The table shows his record against top test playing nations – home and away.

Opposition	Home/Away	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score	100s
England	Away	10	667	37.05	147	2
	Home	11	706	39.22	152	1
	Overall	21	1373	38.13	152	3
Australia	Away	5	543	60.33	192	1
	Home	6	335	30.45	79	0
	Overall	11	878	43.90	192	1
South Africa	Away	8	572	35.75	108	1
	Home	7	790	65.83	287	2
	Overall	15	1362	48.64	287	3
India	Away	6	365	36.50	137	1
	Home	9	872	74.33	219	4
	Overall	15	1257	57.13	219	5

This table, is not conclusive enough to come to a decision about whether Sangakkara is a greatest. Let us have a look at his overall average in home and away, also considering the fact Bangladesh’s poor Test quality, we exclude his figures against them.

Venue	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest	100s
Home	67	6138	63.27	287	21
Excluding Bangladesh (Home)	58	5105	58.01	287	16
Away	50	4478	52.68	319	13
Excluding Bangladesh (Away)	44	3695	49.26	270	11
Overall	123*	11298	319	58.53	36
Excluding Bangladesh (Overall)	108	9482	287	54.49	29

Highest run getters in test match history:

Player	Matches	Innings	Not Outs	Runs	Average	Highest	100s	50s
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)	200	329	33	15921	53.78	248*	51	68
Ricky Ponting (Aus)	168	287	29	13378	51.85	257	41	62
Jacques Kallis (SA)	166	280	40	13289	55.37	224	45	58
Rahul Dravid	164	286	32	13288	52.31	270	36	63
Brian Lara (WI)	131	232	6	11953	52.88	400*	34	48
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)	144	241	15	11374	50.32	374	33	47
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)	154	263	46	11327	52.19	203*	29	63
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)	123	210	17	11298	319	58.53	36	45

*Stats updated till 15 June 2014