Kumar Sangakkara's Test retirement: Who said what
The legend of Sri Lanka Kumar Sangakkara played his last innings today when he got out at 18 off India's Ravichandran Ashwain's delivery. It wasn't a dramatic end to Sangakkara's career, Ashwin dismissed him for the fourth time in four innings.
His family, friends and everyone else who admired his game, were there today at the P Sara Stadium in Colombo. He played 134-Test matches and scored 12,400 runs at an average of 57.40, with 38 centuries. The 37-year-old batsman is the fifth highest run-scorer in history, he debuted for Sri Lanka in 2000.
Some stats
- Sangakkara retired as Sri Lanka's leading run-scorer in Tests and ODIs.
- Sangakkara's Test average (57.40) is the highest of the top 26 Test run-scorers.
- Of those with 7,000 or more Test runs, only Sir Donald Bradman (99.94), Ken Barrington (58.67), Wally Hammond (58.45) and Sir Garfield Sobers (57.78) average higher.
- Sangakkara averaged 66.78 as a pure batsman in Tests, as compared to 40.48 as a wicketkeeper, with 22 of his 38 Test centuries coming after he gave up the gloves.
- Sangakkara is the first player to score four consecutive centuries at the 2015 World Cup.
Tribute came in from all around the world
Sanath Jayasuriya (Former Sri Lankan cricket):
Damien Martyn (Former Australian player):
Great Sachin Tendulkar tweeted:
West Indian batsman Chris Gayle:
Former fellow teammate Mahela Jayawardene said:
India’s VVS Laxman:
Dean Jones: