Michael Clarke vs Kumar Sangakkara: Who Holds the Edge?

The worst part about any sporting legend is that one day their careers come to an end. But what stays are their records, memories and some really big shoes to fill in.(Two Greats Drift Off Into the Sunset)

As Kumar Sangakkara thinks about life after cricket, we've decided to pit the Lankan legend against another star batsman who retired last week in Michael Clarke.

Doing well in unfamiliar conditions is what defines a true great and Sangakkara ticks that box. Among batsmen who have scored more than 8000 test runs, the batsman from Kandy is fourth on the charts when it comes to performing well on overseas tours, with a staggering overseas average of 54, only behind Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar.('Sangakkara Could Have Been Better and Bigger')

Indian fans on the other hand, may remember Michael Clarke as the man who scored a century on debut in Bangalore, but statistics suggest that such performances by the Aussie skipper on overseas tours were rare. Among batsmen who have scored more than 8000 test runs, Michael Clarke tops the charts for being most dependent on home soil for scoring runs: his away average comes crashing down when compared to his average at home.('Clarke on Par With Border')

With these numbers as reference, labeling the former Aussie skipper as a 'home track bully' may not be too far from the truth.

The Sanga-Pup comparison also makes for a very interesting reading when you compare their overseas centuries. During his 15 year long career, Sangakkara scored 38 test hundreds, 16 of those were scored outside of Sri Lanka; That's a full 42% centuries in alien conditions. Clarke's overseas centuries percentage on the other hand stands at 39%.

With a pretty even-stevens record all around the World, one would have to concede that Sangakkara steals a march over his contemporary from Australia- Michael Clarke on most parameters, making him a much more complete batsman.