Sangakkara is a legend

[swatpulla]

Up there with Ponting, only diffrerence being that Ponting ended up with stats far lesser than he deserved, while Sanga has stats far greater than what he deserved. A legend though, second most complete Asian Test batsman I have seen after Tendulkar.

[thongale]

lol @ people saying this match will be a blot on his career. He top scored while the rest of the order fell apart, what the hell do you expect him to do? He could have gone for a 96 India vs SL Semi Aravinda-esque attack but to be frank, the SL middle order is sh*t compared to what it was in 96 so that was not an option and Aravinda was a better cricketer anyways(talent wise not statistically).

Sanga is not Aravinda. He doesn't have that X factor in ODIs as Aravinda. Unlike Sanga Aravinda made bowlers **** in their pants when on song.

[Vilander]

definitely better than Sachin.. In Test Average. :vroam:

[maniac]

Sanga is not Aravinda. He doesn't have that X factor in ODIs as Aravinda. Unlike Sanga Aravinda made bowlers **** in their pants when on song.

So did Sehwag, but does it make him greater than Sachin? Infact Sehwag in tests accomplished way more than Aravinda who definitely was very talented but he was called Mad Max for a reason.

[thongale]

So did Sehwag, but does it make him greater than Sachin? Infact Sehwag in tests accomplished way more than Aravinda who definitely was very talented but he was called Mad Max for a reason.

I was replying to the fact why Sanga did not play aggressively when chips were down in SAF match. Sanga is not that type of player. He is a steady accumulator in ODIs. Aravinda on other hand, made things happen. And BTW we are discussing ODI matches.

[HippoSucks]

"Kumar Sangakkara is equal with Sir Donald Bradman": Ravi Shastri

India team director Ravi Shastri flipped back the years and hailed Kumar Sangakkara as one of the statesmen of the modern game. "I saw him from his first game," Shastri said. "I was commentating on that game when he played and he is still around. He broke into being one of the top two or three players and he never got out of that. There might have been a one year or a six-month period where his form might have dipped. But otherwise, for sheer consistency, he is unmatched," he said. Shastri was also of the view that two stalwarts of Sri Lanka cricket - Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene deserved a lot more accolades than they got. "I don't think both Sanga and Mahela have got the accolades they should have got. If both of them were playing for India, they would have been on top of a tree or put up on top of a tree. "There are very few players who fall in that list. You can bring Sachin Tendulkar in that league as the kind of player that once broke into the top two or three never moved out of there. Sangakkara's record shows you that. He has got runs world over and scored double hundreds like it is a pass time. He is equal with Sir Donald Bradman. We love Sanga for the way he has entertained and he has been a fantastic ambassador for the game of cricket. Sangakkara, who will be playing the final Test of his career against India in Colombo, had announced his retirement even before the start of the series. That is a legacy that he will leave behind. I think every Sri Lankan should be proud of what he has achieved not just personally but the way he has conducted himself in going round the world as an international cricketer. You can call him as one of the statesmen of the modern game," Shastri added. Sangakkara's didn't do much in his penultimate Test match at Galle and scored scored 5 and 40 in the two innings but Tharindu Kaushal and Rangana Herath took Sri Lanka to victory. Elaborating further on what made Sangakkara so special, Shastri said, "His ability to adapt and concentrate and his ability to bat for long periods of time. He had a wide range of shots, understood his game well and obviously worked as hard as any you would get. Also, his simple ability to assess the conditions very quickly, be it England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies or Colombo made him very special."

http://www.ibnlive.com/cricketnext/news/kumar-sangakkara-is-equal-with-sir-donald-bradman-ravi-shastri-549395-78.html

[Gollum]

Wonderful Kumar Sangakkara's Numbers Speak for Themselves: Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was all praise for Kumar Sangakkara, saying it was an honour to play against the man and that his numbers spoke for themselves. The India versus Sri Lanka the second Test at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo from Thursday will be Sangakkara's farewell Test match. (Sangakkara in Same League as Sachin Tendulkar, Says Ravi Shastri) "He has been a wonderful player for Sri Lanka. A lot of left-handers really look up to him for the way he plays. His technique and the way he has scored runs all over the world, his numbers speak for themselves," Kohli said in an interview to bcci.tv. (Kumar Sangakkara - Sri Lanka's Run Machine With a Touch of Grace | Photos: Galle Bids Farewell to Sangakkara) He also recalled his interactions with Sangakkara on and off the field over the years. He was happy that the Indian team would get to be a part of his retirement. "He is a wonderful human being. He is a lovely person. I have had quite a few chats with him on the field and away from the field as well. I am actually glad that he is going to be playing his last few games against us because it is a special occasion for us to be a part of. "Such a legend of the game retiring, as a young side it will be an honour for us to give him that respect in his last few Tests. Hopefully he doesn't score too many runs against us but I really wish him all the luck with his life after cricket. It has been wonderful to know such a great player and a great man." (Also Read:Injured Dhawan Ruled Out of Sri Lanka Test Series) Kohli went on to say that he could guess how Sangakkara must be feeling as he ends what has been a major phase in his life. The 26-year-old Indian Test skipper stated that it would not be easy for any cricketer to think they would not play the game anymore. "I am sure if a guy who is retiring from the game, I cannot connect to it but I can imagine the kind of emotions he might feel because this is something that he has probably done for the last 20 years day in and day out of everyday life. And, not to do that anymore would be a big shock for anyone," Kohli said. (Why Virat Kohli Has Been An Unlucky Captain) Fortunate to See Him Play: Rohit Sharma India's current number three Rohit Sharma also wished Sangakkara the best after retirement. The only player with two ODI double tons feels that the Sri Lankan has always played in the right spirit of the game and feels fortunate to have seen him from close quarters. "He has been a stalwart of the game and played this game in true spirit. I was fortunate enough to watch him play closely many a times in my career. I would just like to wish him all the very best," Rohit said. (Watch Full Video) Man of Records Sangakkara is currently fifth in the list of top run-getters in Tests with 12350 runs. His tally of 38 hundreds in fourth in the all-time list with a personal best of 319 against Bangladesh in 2014. He also has 11 double hundreds -- just one behind Don Bradman's record of 12. Arguably Sri Lanka's best batsman, Sangakkara quit the T20 format last year after Sri Lanka were crowned world champions. He left ODIs after Sri Lanka lost in the World Cup quarters against South Africa.

Agree with everything apart from the bolded part.

[Forever Indian]

"Kumar Sangakkara is equal with Sir Donald Bradman": Ravi Shastri http://www.ibnlive.com/cricketnext/news/kumar-sangakkara-is-equal-with-sir-donald-bradman-ravi-shastri-549395-78.html

Our team cheer leader has started cheering the opposition as well....

[Vijy]

Our team cheer leader has started cheering the opposition as well....

:hysterical: :hysterical:

[Trichromatic]

"Kumar Sangakkara is equal with Sir Donald Bradman": Ravi Shastri http://www.ibnlive.com/cricketnext/news/kumar-sangakkara-is-equal-with-sir-donald-bradman-ravi-shastri-549395-78.html

He is right. I would say Sanga is better.

[Vijy]

He is right. I would say Sanga is better.

:hysterical::hysterical: Typical hyperbole. You have no idea of the kind of dangerous pitches that Bradman, Headley and Sutcliffe batted on, and the quality of the bowling they faced.

[HippoSucks]

"Kumar Sangakkara could have done better": Sangakkara's father

Cheered, celebrated and commemorated for being a champion cricketer, Kumar Sangakkara has been a leading face of international cricket for a decade and half. There is not an iota of doubt that he truly deserves his place amongst the legends of the sport - now that he has hung up his boots. Hardly anyone would dare 'doubt' his achievements. Unless of course, it is Senior Sangakkara! ('Sangakkara Messy, Want him Back Home') Kumar Sangakkara scored an astounding 12400 Test runs - the fifth most by any player. He crafted an astonishing 38 Test tons - the fourth most by any player. In all formats, he has 63 tons and 153 fifties -- far more than most players ever to have wielded the bat. For Kshema Sangakkara though, his son was not just meant to overshadow most but all -- and that there was still some way before he truly reached his potential. (Sangakkara to be High Commissioner to UK?) Legends may not be in the habit of being shown their flaws. Even a legend as humble as Kumar. Most fathers though have a habit of seeing their sons as sons and not demi-gods fans make them out to be. Little surprise then that Sr Sangakkara feels the most celebrated figure in his family could have been even greater than he already is. (Kohli Salutes Sangakkara) "I have always been his harshest critic. And he knows about it all too well," wrote Kshema Sangakkara in a column for Indian Express. "For the world, Kumar was this venerated technician. But in my opinion, he never reached that level. He could have done so much better with the skills he had." Kumar Sangakkara called time on his career on Monday after featuring in 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20Is. Almost every cricket fan and expert united over a decade and a half since Kumar's debut in 2000, in equating him with the best in the business. Not Kshema Sangakkara. "Everybody speaks about his average being in the same league of Graeme Pollock and Garry Sobers, but Kumar could have done better. He too often let bowlers dismiss him rather than them having to get him out," he wrote. Interestingly, Kumar's farewell speech had specifically highlighted his family for being his biggest inspiration and achievement. It was not without reason. "I started working on Kumar's cricket from a very young age. He always had great touch. You could see that from the way he connects his shots. But touch and technique are two totally different concepts," wrote Kshema Sangakkara, adding that Mahela Jayawardene, Marvan Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva were always more in control of their games than his son. "Jayawardene had a much better technique, and a much tighter defence. Kumar's temperament and grit is what ensured he scored more runs." Cricket's history has similar instances of a father being his sons most honest critic - only to see him achieve perfection that others felt he had already mastered.

http://sports.ndtv.com/sri-lanka-vs-india-2015/news/247532-kumar-sangakkara-could-have-been-even-bigger-and-better-says-dad-kshema

[maniac]

Great Player.....Poor sportsman.......Great ambassador for the talent in a tiny island like Srilanka that produces these mercurial players.....Poor Ambassador for Subcontinet cricket culture with his constant poser like mentality and his strife to cosy up to the white man...still stuck in the colonial mindset.

[biglebowski]

in honor of his legendary status oxford dictionary added a word sangappeal :hysterical: