Did Sangakkara really deserve to win over Sachin in the Cricket Australia GOAT poll?
For many, May
Before we begin, one can raise questions as to how an opener can be compared with a No.3 and No.4 player, citing that openers get the maximum time at the middle and can hence accumulate more runs than anyone.
Of the top 10 run-getters, only 3 are openers (in blue), with the rest being 1 or 2 down batsmen (in black), which is contrary to the old-age theory of openers having the advantage. Since the new ball swings only for about 5-6 overs in ODI, the openers are at a slight disadvantage compared to the rest as they have to face the wrath of the new ball. Hence, the comparison between an opener and a No.3 batsman does make fair sense after all.
Overall Comparison
The overall numbers would suggest that Sachin was the better player. However, a deserving winner can only be found based on how far he is ahead of the other player, which in turn can only be decided by comparing them across various parameters like the following:
Consistency over years
In and outside sub-continent performances
1st batting and 2nd batting exploits
Contribution towards team victories
Performance against different oppositions
Performances in major ICC events
1. Consistency Over the Years
Average by Year
Of the 13 years, where both of them have been active at the ODI level, Sachin had excelled over Sangakkara in eight of them. The spike in Sachin’s career (2010) was due to his historic unbeaten double century. Also, Sachin required less than 10 innings to score a century per year on 8 occasions (2001,02,03,06,09,10,11,12), whereas Sangakkara had been able to replicate the same feat only once (2008). This summarizes the fact that Sachin has outshone Sangakkara in the consistency aspect.
2. In And Outside Sub-Continent Comparison
Average by Venue
Inside the sub-continent, Sachin has clearly held the upper hand in terms of average. In addition to that, Sachin had racked up 59% of his centuries (29) inside the sub-continent, which is a clear majority when weighed against Sangakkara’s 48% (12) in the sub-continent. This comes down to the fact that, despite having played close to the same number of matches at home, Sachin had amassed more centuries to his name (20) than Sangakkara (4). So, Sachin had clearly outclassed Sangakkara inside the sub-continent and even more so at home.
Sachin has had a marginally better average than Sangakkara outside the sub-continent. Additionally, Sachin had taken a tad above 11 innings to score a ton outside the subcontinent, whereas Sangakkara required 16 innings to match the same.
(Also read - to find out the secret behind the success of chasing teams in IPL 2016)
3.
Average by Innings
While both batsmen relished the opportunity of batting first in comparison to chasing, the little master enjoyed a healthy lead over Sangakkara in both innings. Moreover, while batting first, Sachin scored a century in almost every 7 innings, whereas Sangakkara took slightly less than double of Sachin’s number of innings (12) for the same. The equation is similar while chasing with Sachin taking close to 13 innings per ton and Sangakkara requiring 23 innings per ton.
4.
Average by Result
Sachin averaged higher than the southpaw during team victories, implying that the former had played more match-winning knocks and contributed much more to team victories than the latter. The difference in average for Sachin between wins and losses just shows how much India was extremely dependent on him. His 175 VS Australia in 2010, 111 VS SA in WC 2011 are
5. Against Each Opposition
Runs scored by Sachin vs each opposition
Runs scored by Sangakkara vs opposition
Average vs Opposition
The true mark of greatness is when you perform against the greats. Out of the 9 major oppositions both have played against, Sachin fared better than Sangakkara both runs and average wise against six of them, apart from surpassing Sangakkara runs
6. Performance In Major Icc Tournaments
Average in major ICC tournaments
A common grouse against Sachin was that he would not perform
Verdict : Sachin
(Also read - to find out who will win the race for the India coach’s post?)
7. All-Round Contributions
Apart from being exquisite stroke players and tireless run-machines, they have contributed on the field too. Sangakkara’s wicket-keeping prowess needs no introduction as he holds the record for the most dismissals in ODIs with 482 scalps. On the other hand, the master blaster has been quite handy a fielder himself having 140 catches to his name. He has been equally good with the ball too, picking up 154 scalps at 5.10. He has on numerous occasions proved to be a partnership breaker. No Indian fan would ever forget his heroics in the 1993 Hero Cup semi-final against SA, where he magically defended 6 off the last over. So, both the legends are equally matched in this aspect.
Sachin is so far ahead on almost every parameter that it fails one's imagination as to why the voters thought otherwise. Sangakkara has been an absolute legend too for his country and his achievements and contributions can never be undermined. But, when it comes to choosing the deserving winner of the poll final, Sachin is ahead of Sangakkara by light years.
You can help Slum Soccer send 20 of our most talented footballers to represent INDIA at Homeless World Cup at Glasgow. Click here to know more.
AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli - who will score more runs?
Predict IND vs SA on Nostragamus now! Join challenges and compete against India's biggest cricket fans. Play and win up to ₹40,000 today!
Download Nostragamus for FREE and get ₹20 Joining Bonus! Click here to download app on Android.
AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli - who will score more runs?
Predict IND vs SA on Nostragamus now! Join challenges and compete against India's biggest cricket fans. Play and win up to ₹40,000 today!
Download Nostragamus for FREE and get ₹20 Joining Bonus! Click here to download app on Android.
Comments
Sign up or log in to your account to leave comments and reactions
0 Comments