Jacques Kallis vs Rahul Dravid vs Kumar Sangakkara

[BazBall21]

Sanga wasn’t great in England and tends to get away with that because of the big final tour. Him in Oceania doesn’t beat Dravid in England but Dravid in SA was worse than Sanga anywhere. Sanga’s average of 44 outside Asia excluding Zim (lower than Dravid) drops to early 40s when you add in India.
Feel like when I put Sanga up against someone else he will definitely do better in my mind than if I put Dravid up against the same man, but when I compare them directly I realise there is very little in it.
Just think Dravid’s record against the best teams and best bowlers of his era knocks him down a bit. His only big series in Australia out of four tours (still a very creditable performance) was when they were depleted, he generally struggled against them at home too, and he never had a big series against SA.
He averages “only” 38 in the 65 Tests he played that involved at least one sub-25 bowler (sample of thirteen bowlers) and that drops to 32 away from home in 35 tests under the same filter. He did play some wonderful innings in the type of conditions where bowlers that aren’t elite can become severely threatening which deserves plenty of points. Probably better than Sanga against lateral movement. But his record against the best just isn’t as good as other ATG bats. I’ll take Sanga just therefore, who has a lot of gun performances against high pace bowlers.

 

[subshakerz]

Sanga wasn’t great in England and tends to get away with that because of the big final tour. Him in Oceania doesn’t beat Dravid in England but Dravid in SA was worse than Sanga anywhere. Sanga’s average of 44 outside Asia excluding Zim (lower than Dravid) drops to early 40s when you add in India.
Feel like when I put Sanga up against someone else he will definitely do better in my mind than if I put Dravid up against the same man, but when I compare them directly I realise there is very little in it.
Just think Dravid’s record against the best teams and best bowlers of his era knocks him down a bit. His only big series in Australia out of four tours (still a very creditable performance) was when they were depleted, he generally struggled against them at home too, and he never had a big series against SA.
He averages “only” 38 in the 65 Tests he played that involved at least one sub-25 bowler (sample of thirteen bowlers) and that drops to 32 away from home in 35 tests under the same filter. He did play some wonderful innings in the type of conditions where bowlers that aren’t elite can become severely threatening which deserves plenty of points. Probably better than Sanga against lateral movement. But his record against the best just isn’t as good as other ATG bats. I’ll take Sanga just therefore, who has a lot of gun performances against high pace bowlers.

Agreed good post. What about Sanga vs Kallis?

 

[peterhrt]

Honestly think he improved tremendously as a batsman throughout his career, and not too much of it due to dropping the gloves. That decision was clearly made for longevity to save the knees, and not performance, as he kept the gloves on in ODI's and improved quite a bit in that format as well.

The decision may have been his own. On commentary last year Sangakkara said he hated keeping wicket in Test cricket and only did it because he was asked. He was making an argument for specialist keepers.

 

[shortpitched713]

The decision may have been his own. On commentary last year Sangakkara said he hated keeping wicket in Test cricket and only did it because he was asked. He was making an argument for specialist keepers.

I'm sure it was his decision. I mean, the knees he's saving are his own, of course. My point was rather that he had the capability to do both, which is something that those who state he couldn't have batted as well as he did during his specialist bat days, while keeping, don't grant him.

 

[peterhrt]

I'm sure it was his decision. I mean, the knees he's saving are his own, of course. My point was rather that he had the capability to do both, which is something that those who state he couldn't have batted as well as he did during his specialist bat days, while keeping, don't grant him.

Yes, he is one of only eight to average 40 in Tests (minimum 2000 runs) while keeping wicket.

 

[BazBall21]

Agreed good post. What about Sanga vs Kallis?

Really close. Tend to go Kallis for his slightly better cross-conditions record but Sanga had more fear factor.

 

[subshakerz]

Really close. Tend to go Kallis for his slightly better cross-conditions record but Sanga had more fear factor.

Cross conditions all three they are pretty close.

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Nobody really took an anti-Sanga position the way they did with Kallis,

Have you never interacted with @Himannv or just acting ignorant.

 

[subshakerz]

Kallis and Dravid are close but Sanga is ahead given his style of batting.

 

[Majestic]

Kallis> Sanga> Dravid

SA conditions aren't easy to average 55 on.