How good is Sanga?

[viriya]

4 batsmen averaging 50+ in 90s and 19 doing it in 2000s puts in perspective when it comes over all bowling standards in 2000s. Even in 70s and 80s we didn't have more than 5-6 players averaging 50+.

Wow, he has couple of 50s against Ambrose and you can't remember his big knocks against McGrath and other ATG bowlers of 90s.

Against McGrath ,

2nd Test: Australia v India at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 1999 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

3rd Test: India v Australia at Chennai, Mar 18-22, 2001 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Against Donald:

2nd Test: South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Nov 26-30, 1992 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: South Africa v India at Cape Town, Jan 2-6, 1997 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Agaisnt Wasim :

1st Test: India v Pakistan at Chennai, Jan 28-31, 1999 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo


Against Murali:

1st Test: India v Sri Lanka at Lucknow, Jan 18-22, 1994 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (SSC), Aug 9-13, 1997 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: India v Sri Lanka at Delhi, Dec 10-14, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Against Warne: Let's not go there.

Could it be that the 2000s just had a bunch of great batsmen instead of bowling standards being low? It's not like great batsmen are supposed to show up at the same rate every decade..
On the knocks vs Murali.. 2 of the 3 are pre-1998 - when Murali was nothing like the bowler he was in the 2000s.. but that's just nit-picking of course.

 

[The Sean]

I'm pleased that this has turned into a discussion about Tendulkar. Doesn't happen enough IMO.

 

[viriya]

It's because he's the typical "best since Bradman" batsman, so for Sanga to claim that, he would have to at least match or surpass him..

 

[Jono]

I'm pleased that this has turned into a discussion about Tendulkar. Doesn't happen enough IMO.

The discussion is about how good Sanga is. Makes sense to compare him to the greatest batsman ever.

 

[Jono]

If Sanga is competing for the #3 position, it's obvious why he doesn't make the list.. but I myself would have him replacing Gilchrist as the wicket-keeper in my all-time XI.

Doesn't stop anyone picking Viv Richards...

 

[The Sean]

Additionally - and I realise I've gone on about this before - but in cricketing terms "Asia" comprises five countries occupying an area of more than 4 million square kilometres and with nearly 100 different international grounds. Could we please stop referring to it as though it's one small place with a handful of uniform pitches and conditions?

 

[akilana]

Did you think for, like, longer than ten seconds before posting this? How is this a refutation of the point at all?

your typical rubbish insults aside, how do you become used to a condition? How did Sanga become used to his SL conditions? He wasn't born with it certainly. Playing a lot in those conditions is how he got used to.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Additionally - and I realise I've gone on about this before - but in cricketing terms "Asia" comprises five countries occupying an area of more than 4 million square kilometres and with nearly 100 different international grounds. Could we please stop referring to it as though it's one small place with a handful of uniform pitches and conditions?

Inclined to agree. But generally speaking, conditions across the SC are going to have similarities and are going to pose similar types of challenges to the players. While other cricketing nations like England, West Indies, Australia, South Africa, are all bound to be vastly different to each other because they're all on different ends of the planet.

Honestly, while Asia isn't obviously one flat road, the conditions don't vary as much as say, between Australia and England. That's why it's generally taken as one large entity. Not that it should be, mind.

 

[akilana]

Nah I don't know how you guys don't get this. Less tests away means that even if you don't do well, your overall average won't be affected at all because it's a very small sample of matches. Even if Sanga had clobbered runs at 60+ outside SC, his average wouldn't really improve that much. That's how few he's played.

The point is not that he's a poor batsman overseas, it's just that his average has been helped by playing more in known conditions. Can't see the argument against this.

Sorry I did not realize you meant overall average in your initial post. I was thinking averages in those alien conditions. Your point is valid but that cannot be a criticism against Sanga. Maybe playing more in alien conditions means they will cease to be alien conditions. He quickly adapted to some conditions like Australia, NZ etc so playing more there will make up for the lack of runs in other conditions.

 

[simonlee48]

Could it be that the 2000s just had a bunch of great batsmen instead of bowling standards being low? It's not like great batsmen are supposed to show up at the same rate every decade..

Theoretically possible but I won't bracket 19 batsmen as bunch of greats. I have seen all of them so this statement has nothing to do with any stats.

 

[indiaholic]

Seen enough of both decades to know that the 90s were on an average tougher to bat in. Having said that I think Tendulkar not being able to cash in in the 2000s is something that should be held more strongly against him.

 

[BeeGee]

The Sean is winning this thread.

WASP has him at 86%.

 

[The Sean]

The Sean is winning this thread.

It's taken nearly eight years, but I got there in the end.

 

[cricmahanty]

Was recently reading an article somewhere about how Sri Lanka are always seen as the' lesser' team of the two touring parties in a season, in places like England and Australia. For those who used his less than par average in England (prior to this series) against him, it's a fair point that most of the tests he has played in England have been in the early summer months of May and June. Statistics say that there's a fair surge in the general batting averages in England as one moves from the months of May/June to the more sunnier months of July/August.

There's also this thing about batsmen, particularly the Subcontinent ones, preferring to bat with a warm sun at their backs.

 

[Shri]

Sachin doing well in the 90s is a fact but him being outstanding against those greats bowlers of the 90s is a bit of a myth. He averaged in the mid 30s against Donald, Akram and Waqar. I think he destroyed McGrath less Australian attacks a few times in 90s but cannot remember him doing well against McGrath in 90s or after in tests. He had a couple of fifties against Ambrose though.

2edgy4me

 

[harsh.ag]

In a thread about how good Sanga is, this has to be a feature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51J_qnV2Y30

 

[kyear2]

Well as far as lefties go he is probably

Sobers
Lara
Border
Pollock
Sangakkara
Chanderpaul
Harvey
Lloyd
Hayden
Gilchrist

 

[Coronis]

Heh, Pollock below Border.

 

[Flem274*]

Pollock is lucky to be on the list at all imo

 

[kyear2]

Heh, Pollock below Border.

Border faced infinitely better bowlers.