Jacques Kallis vs Rahul Dravid vs Kumar Sangakkara

[Migara]

SL are far flatter pitches than SA pitches... the fact that SL had one of the best spin bowlers of all time to take advantage of the slower pitches does not suddenly make those pitches green or less flat. First innings scores of 400+ in SL are not uncommon. In SA they are rare gems.

2000 - 2015 - South Africa - 30.38, Sri Lanka - 31.23. Less than a run difference. Same duration Australia 34.2 and India 33.7. I don't know what is the big fuss about the pitches.

And I could say SAf had bouncier pitches and more than one ATG fast bowlers to take advantage of it.

 

[a massive zebra]

Hard to understand why Sanga didn't fare well in England despite his record and some stellar innings in New Zealand. Dravid did incredibly in England. Kallis also found wanting in this regard.

Also hard to understand why Dravid didn't fare well in SL despite being the best player of spin bowling of the three.

Was Dravid really the best player of spin of the three? He was one of Shane Warne's most frequent victims. Obviously there is no shame in getting out to a guy with 700 test wickets, but none of the other leading Indian batsman of Dravid's generation had any problem with Warne. You don't score the volume of runs Sanga did in Sri Lanka without being a top class player of spin.

 

[Jack1]

Was Dravid really the best player of spin of the three? He was one of Shane Warne's most frequent victims. Obviously there is no shame in getting out to a guy with 700 test wickets, but none of the other leading Indian batsman of Dravid's generation had any problem with Warne. You don't score the volume of runs Sanga did in Sri Lanka without being a top class player of spin.

Russell is the best player of spin

 

[harsh.ag]

Was Dravid really the best player of spin of the three? He was one of Shane Warne's most frequent victims. Obviously there is no shame in getting out to a guy with 700 test wickets, but none of the other leading Indian batsman of Dravid's generation had any problem with Warne. You don't score the volume of runs Sanga did in Sri Lanka without being a top class player of spin.

All 3 are quite close. All great players of spin. Dravid scored loads of runs in India. Also scored a lot of runs against Warne, so not a one sided contest. Struggled against Murali, but Sanga never played against him. Sanga struggled against Ashwin. It's all a matter of inches here.

 

[Migara]

Dravid didn't play much against Ajmal. Kallis struggled. Sanga nailed him. Other important bowler is Swann. Dravid did best against him.

 

[Chrish]

Sanga was a better batsman. More attacking and more flamboyant. Then I would go with Kallis. Amazing average and that too after batting on SA wickets which have been more sporting compared to anywhere else. He perhaps doesn’t have the collection of memorable knocks that Dravid did but you have to give it to him based on amazing longevity.

 

[Gob]

Dravid didn't play much against Ajmal. Kallis struggled. Sanga nailed him. Other important bowler is Swann. Dravid did best against him.

Ajmal played baseball. Recall Sanga struggling against Swann although playing Swann as a left hander is a totally different proposition. Kallis looked imperious against Swann though

 

[trundler]

Ajmal was wrecking sides left, right and center in UAE. Sanga still owned him like no batsman has owned a bowler before. I think he scored some 1300 runs against him for very few dismissals. It's close to a record and has to be the highest for any non Ashes batsman. Truly remarkable tbh.

 

[Gob]

Ajmal was wrecking sides left, right and center in UAE. Sanga still owned him like no batsman has owned a bowler before. I think he scored some 1300 runs against him for very few dismissals. It's close to a record and has to be the highest for any non Ashes batsman. Truly remarkable tbh.

Yeah I wasn't degrading that feet. Just reminding everyone what a filthy chucker that bloke was. Disgraceful

 

[Gob]

Was Dravid really the best player of spin of the three? He was one of Shane Warne's most frequent victims. Obviously there is no shame in getting out to a guy with 700 test wickets, but none of the other leading Indian batsman of Dravid's generation had any problem with Warne. You don't score the volume of runs Sanga did in Sri Lanka without being a top class player of spin.

So you are not supposed to fail against Warne if you are Indian lol.Warne had a lot of success against guys from the subcontinent who are equally good against spin (dismissed Sangakkara four times in five tests)

Anyway from memory, it was Tendulkar and Sidu who made it a complete one way traffic but battles against the rest wasn't all that one sided. IIRC he dismissed VVS with two classic balls in Bangalore 04 and overall must have dismissed him four or five times. Priced Sehwag out a couple of times by playing on Virender's ego in the same series and cant recall Ganguly being all that dominant against Warne all though he must have fell to the quicker bowlers by the time Warne came in.Anyway the discussion is not about Warne so meh

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think he scored some 1300 runs against him for very few dismissals.

This can't be right

 

[ma1978]

I may be biased here as an Indian fan but feel Dravid had more epic innings that keead to team wins than Sanga or Kallis, many away

Eden Gardens 2001, Headingley 2002, Adelaide 2003 Multan 2004

He was Indians matchwinner abroad

Kallis was never SA's matchwinner

Also think he had a tougher overall era than Sanga

This edges him to the top for me

 

[Coronis]

This can't be right

Played 14 matches against him, dismissed by Ajmal 4 times, for 45, 144, 1 and 59. Total stats in matches vs Ajmal:

14 matches, 28 innings, 1826 runs @ 79.39, 6 centuries (2 doubles and 2 190’s) 7 half centuries

 

[TheJediBrah]

Played 14 matches against him, dismissed by Ajmal 4 times, for 45, 144, 1 and 59. Total stats in matches vs Ajmal:

14 matches, 28 innings, 1826 runs @ 79.39, 6 centuries (2 doubles and 2 190’s) 7 half centuries

1300 of those runs were off Ajmal himself? sounds dubious

 

[trundler]

It was on the Charles Davis site under miscellaneous. CBF digging it up

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

After Sanga made his triple century, the Bangladeshis started calling him Barrister Kumar Sangakkara

 

[Migara]

Ajmal played baseball. Recall Sanga struggling against Swann although playing Swann as a left hander is a totally different proposition. Kallis looked imperious against Swann though

Still, others were shitting in the pants against him. Sanga nailed Ajmal.

 

[subshakerz]

I may be biased here as an Indian fan but feel Dravid had more epic innings that keead to team wins than Sanga or Kallis, many away

Eden Gardens 2001, Headingley 2002, Adelaide 2003 Multan 2004

He was Indians matchwinner abroad

Kallis was never SA's matchwinner

Also think he had a tougher overall era than Sanga

This edges him to the top for me

I think you mean Rawalpindi.

That is the reason I give him Dravid the edge over Kallis.

But Sanga was simply a more attacking batsman. And his 192 in Australia in 2007 was likely the best innings played by all three.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Unpopular opinion: really thought we've should have added Younis Khan in this conversation.

 

[subshakerz]

Is it a fair point that 2 double tons in 166 matches is a negative for Kallis?