Kumar Sangakkara – a better wicket keeper or a better left-handed batsman? Or if we say the complete cricketer it won't be any wrong. When he was in his prime there was no better cricketer than him to smashed cover drives like him.
With more than 12000 runs under his cap and highest runs scorer for Sri Lanka cricket history at a mind-boggling average of 57.40 in the longest format of the game makes him one the greatest left-handed batsman from Sri Lanka team to ever grace this game of cricket.
Kumar Sangarkara was the part of the golden generation of Sri Lanka team, since his debut in 2000 till his last game in 2015 he was the most prolific player for his side.
A complete cricketer in every sense and even said by the greats of the game. With instincts like versatility and being able to think out of the box of the team turns him the smartest brains in cricket during his career. 11 double centuries in his career and that is just behind Sir Don Bradman.
In terms of runs scored by Kumar Sangarkara 12,400 no other left-handed player has such figures in history. The most amount of runs while batting at No.3 – 11,679 runs. Only Rahul Dravid has 10,524 runs after him in the history of cricket at No.3.
Most test Centuries by any left-handed batsman in history – 38. At last the only batsman after Virender Sehwag to complete his triple Century with a six.
Let us take a look back at the top five innings of Kumar Sangakkara career to relive some of memories with it:
1. 287 Vs South Africa, 2006:
South Africa tour of Sri Lanka, first test match of the series and after winning the toss tourists decided to bat first on the spinner-friendly pitch. The host had restricted them under the score of 169 in their first innings in just 50.2 overs on the first day of the test match.
With 14/2 in just 3.3 overs it looked like the match would end before the fourth day. But followed next was written in the history books. The two greatest Sri Lanka middle-order batsman who were in the early days of his career looking to establish their position the playing eleven.
The two young Sri Lanka Set up the forge and made this test memorable to only remember for one match-winning partnership of 624 runs for the 3rd wicket. Kumar Sangarkara and Mahela Jayawardene have batted on for two days.
The South African bowlers were nowhere near to trouble them during this memorable partnership especially Kumar Sangakkara those Cover Drives was the glimpse to world cricket what had to come in the coming years. Not only did the pair put his team into the driver seat with one match-winning partnership and also helped the team to win the match by 153 runs and an innings.
Looking at this alliance formed in the long term of cricket there were very rare batting duos as good as these were in a memorable test match.
2. 232 Vs South Africa, 2004:
2nd test match of a series and after winning the toss Sri Lanka decided to bat first against the best pace attack of South Africa. With 4/1 young the left-handed batsman Kumar Sangarkara walks in to rescue his team from any further damage from the dangerous pace attack of South Africa.
At the Score of 57 it looked like it was the end of Kumar Sangakkara innings when miss-time the hit and edge the ball into the hands of Jacques Kallis. But all of sudden what happened was unexpected for everyone.
Kallis dropped his catch and looked like it was the match too. With one more life Kumar Sangarkara grabbed the opportunity like a predator and scored the double century to help Sri Lanka to post 470 in their first innings.
In response South Africa dismantled to 189 in their first innings. Even in their second innings Kumar Sangakkara played quick fire 64 runs in 58 balls to set the winning momentum for his team.
The tourists in their second innings was a complete disaster as they had to manage to score 179 runs only and led Sri Lanka to win their first series over them and match by 313 runs.
3. 230 Vs Pakistan, 2002:
Another double century in the pretty early days of career. Kumar Sangarkara was destined to be successful. That's why left-handed batsmen are more successful in cricket over Right handed batsman. If you ever doubt on the fact just look at this Sri Lanka batsman and at his records.
Final of the test match series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan had bat first and managed to score 234 in their first innings.
In response to that the tourist took on the big lead in their first innings with maiden double century from young Kumar Sangarkara who had involved in a match-winning partnership with Sanath Jayasuriya 203 and Mahela Jayawardene 173 to help Sri Lanka to post 528 runs in their innings.
Kumar Sangakkara's epic innings lasted for 480 minutes with 33 fours and 3 sixes into the stands. Not only his double century put his team into the driver seat but also led team to win the match with 8 wickets while Kumar Sangarkara remain unbeaten in their second innings.
4. 192 Vs Australia, 2007:
Another 190 plus score Kumar Sangakkara was the special talent in many ways and a big match player against the best cricket playing nations. 2nd test match of the series Australia after winning the toss decided to bat first and without any time predator Aussies scored 542/5 in their first innings and declared their innings.
In response the tourists crumbled down to 246 with two valuable knocks from Kumar Sangakkara (57) and Mahela Jayawardene (104) once these two have proved why they were the most Important pillars in Sri Lankan Cricket history.
Again Aussies declared their second innings and posted the huge total for tourists in the fourth innings of a match. 507 to chase it was next to impossible from the team who have failed very badly in their first innings. But the interesting part of it was fans were waiting to see the performance of two star performers of the first innings.
With 15/1 Kumar Sangakkara walked in and set the momentum to give a tough fight to hosts with 143 stand partnership for the second wicket. But 2 wickets in 2 balls it looked like the match was over but Kumar Sangakkara in his own style. Aussies let us have some serious cricket.
Kumar Sangarkara single handedly set up the forge with other teammates to give some bad dreams to the hosts and he was successful too in that but Sangarkara didn't get the support of any other player and he fell short of another double century before 8 runs and entertaining part of his inning was it last long for 431 minutes while score 192.
Although Sri Lanka lost the match by 96 runs but if one big partnership was made the record of fourth innings was broken down that day.
5. 219 Vs India, 2010:
Suresh Raina debut test match
Another double hundred and this was against team India. Team India was already trailing by 1-0 in the series and Sri Lanka after winning the toss decided to bat first and with the toss of 4 wickets they have declared their innings at 642/4 with two innings from the star players Kumar Sangakkara (219) and Mahela Jayawardene (174).
These two once again set the momentum for his team while putting the team into driver seat. But playing without Muthaih Muralidharan and Herath had cost them as the match ended in a draw while in the second innings Kumar Sangakkara remained unbeaten.
Although after winning the third test match of a series the series was levelled 1-1 but it was somewhere not possible without that double hundred in the 2nd test of a series from Kumar Sangakkara.
