5 Modern Day Greats who have a moderate record in Sri Lanka

Cricket is a curious game, where even a well-established and competent player suddenly performs below par against a particular team or at a particular ground. There are several instances of players who have had a fabulous overall record, but whose stats take a steep dip against a certain player or in a certain country.With the ongoing Sri Lanka vs India series in view, here is a list of a few much-acclaimed players who have set and broken many a record, but have surprisingly fallen short in Sri Lanka.These players are easily recognized as few of the best that the world has ever seen, but their record in Sri Lanka simply does not do justice to their overall achievements.

#1 Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid walks back after being dismissed by Angelo Mathews in 2010

To any cricket fan, Rahul Dravid’s greatness needs no explanation. He is the epitome of humility and his devotion to the game scales the skies. Dravid is known for his dependability. No matter what the conditions, he had always stood tall and provided rock-solid support to the batsmen at the other end. If the Indian team was in trouble, Dravid was the go-to man, who would help the team recover from the mess in most matches.

But it can be quite surprising to know that Dravid, despite his well-acclaimed stance, stoic defence and classy shots, has had a poor run in Sri Lanka. In the 12 matches (21 innings) that he has played in the island nation over a span of 13 years (1997-2010), he has managed to score only 662 runs at a measly average of 33.10, as compared to his overall career average of 52.31.

In the 21 innings that he played, he has managed to credit only four 50s and a century to his name – a stat that would leave everyone surprised, given his reputation for scoring big runs consistently.

#2 Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq had redemption of sorts, he was at the crease when Pakistan won a Test series in Lanka earlier in 2015

Misbah, the Pakistani counterpart of Dravid, is well-known for his steadfast defence. Amassing 4000 runs from 58 Test matches with an average of 48.19, he was the pillar of the Pakistani batting line-up. Whether other players performed or not, whether Pakistan won the match or lost or drew, Misbah always performed in most matches. If he came to the crease, he came to stay.

But despite his reputation, he has had a shockingly low average of just 26.50 from 11 matches (20 innings) in Sri Lanka. This is by far his lowest average in any country where he has played at least 5 Test matches. Known to be a big run-getter, his record in Sri Lanka comprises of only 4 half centuries, with a high score of just 66*.

#3 Sourav Ganguly

Chaminda Vaas appeals against Sourav Ganguly in 2008

The Prince of Indian Cricket, Sourav Ganguly, is also among the many players who have fared badly in Sri Lanka. Playing 9 Tests (17 innings) in the nation in a 11-year period ranging from 1997 to 2008, he had scored only 588 runs at an average of 36.75.

He has to his credit 3 half centuries and one century in Sri Lanka, but all these scores came between 1997-2001. He had a forgettable final series in Lanka in 2008, where he did not manage to reach the 50-run mark even once. He averaged a shocking 16 runs from 6 innings in that series.

#4 Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan batting in Sri Lanka in 2007

The famed former English captain Michael Vaughan also finds himself in this list due to the poor run he had in Sri Lanka. In the 7 Test matches (14 innings) that he played in Sri Lanka, he accumulated only 470 runs at an average of 33.57.

This is his third lowest average in any country where he has played at least 5 Test matches, second only to his record in New Zealand (average: 21.16 from 12 innings) and South Africa (average: 30.00 from 17 innings).

Regarded as one of England’s best batsmen, his form suffered a slump after he became the captain of the English side in 2003. This mirrors in his performance in Sri Lanka, where he played 12 out of 14 innings as captain.

#5 Justin Langer

Justin Langer batting in Sri Lanka in 2004

The famous Australian opener, who has milked runs in plenty from the bowlers during his time, had surprisingly found it difficult to play in the subcontinent regions – India and Sri Lanka. While he averaged just about 30 from 13 innings in India, he fared no better in Sri Lanka where he averaged 32.41 from 12 innings.

Langer had more often than not, fallen short of his expectations in Asia and has had almost a completely dry run in Sri Lanka. Despite being an opener, he scored only 389 runs from 7 matches in Lanka. If not for his magnificent 166 in his final innings at Colombo in 2004, his stats in the nation would have been much worse.