Test cricket is full of new horizons and false dawns. Eras will come and go. Players will light up
the cricketing world for generations only to pass the flame onto the next
generation.
Since the start of 2011, an entire generation of Test batsman
has been fading over the horizon into pastures new. Some of the all-time greats;
Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting and the almighty Chris Martin to name a few.
As the greats have departed, a new breed has emerged. The likes of Ponting and Tendulkar left the mere mortal purring with
admiration at the artistry of their stroke play; the new breed is beginning to dazzle
us with a different form of artistic stroke play. Less Michelangelo, more
Picasso.
Alas, there is one final push of the treasured art form of
batsmanship that spread throughout the 21st century. Younis Khan spent a vast proportion of 2014
either firmly lodged in the deep-set, spike-drawn lines in the batting crease
or in the habitual nightmares of Australian bowlers.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul continues to perplex and inspire as
his quest to fulfill a seemingly career-long ambition of beginning his stance
facing the wrong direction continues. Shuffling crab-like towards the stumps
like only a like-minded hermit can, Shiv somehow manages to make the crease his
home as he churns runs out whilst his more orthodox partners crumple in a heap.
There is one more fighting the new breed. The greatest batsman
of the generation left in the game. Possibly, the greatest batsman since
Bradman on raw numbers alone.
Kumar Sangakkara’s name often gets lost in tales of the
great batsman of the recent era – of any era, actually.
The best batsman? Tendulkar.
The best all-rounder? Kallis.
The best left-hander? Lara.
Sangakkara can potentially lay claim to all three titles.
Sangakkara’s average (at the time of writing) is an
eye-watering 58.94 which places him sixth in the highest average table for
those who have played twenty or more Test matches. Incidentally, he has the
highest average for anyone with over 100 innings in Test matches. The nearest
challenger of his era is that of Jacques Kallis who is a comparatively huge 3
runs behind on average.
On raw numbers, Sangakkara is the greatest of the modern
era. It’s as simple as that. Sangakkara currently has over 12,000 runs and he
moved there quicker than anyone else and he moved there during an 11th
double hundred. Second to only the ‘Don’ himself.
The consideration for best all-rounder of the modern era is
a contentious one. Bowling prowess was one of very few gifts unbestowed to the Sri
Lankan. The sight of Sangakkara getting lose to bowl was the equivalent of the
Sri Lankan’s hoisting the man himself up in the whites of his uniform to flag
for mercy.
However, in 42 tests, Sangakkara was entrusted behind the
stumps. Hard enough on Sri Lankan pitches. Harder still with a spinner perplexing
batsman with every delivery but Kumar was wise to the tricks of Muralitharan
and the two became a fixture in the wickets column.
During his wicket-keeping days, Sangakkara averaged 40.48. A
significant drop from his career average but still sixth all-time for
wicket-keepers who played 20 Tests or more. Since then, his average has soared
to 69.85 over 82 games with a mind-boggling century rate of 1 every 2.5 games.
At the end of their careers, Tendulkar and Ponting amongst
many others in the era began to suffer a severe decline in their batting that ultimately
led to the end of their careers. Sangakkara has been heading in the opposite
direction. The Benjamin Button of cricket.
As Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and the new breed of batsman
take the art of batting into uncharted territory and cross over the horizon;
the game will have left behind true artists.
Some artists of joy and love, some of pure belligerence and some that will be in the hearts of many for generations to come. Sangakkara will be in the hearts of the cricketing world long after the game bids him farewell.
Some artists of joy and love, some of pure belligerence and some that will be in the hearts of many for generations to come. Sangakkara will be in the hearts of the cricketing world long after the game bids him farewell.