Sangakkara: Everyone is second to the Don

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Cricket365
August 9, 2014

The veteran Kumar Sangakkara remained characteristically modest, after coming within two double centuries of equaling the late Don Bradman's unrivaled tally of 12 on day four of Sri Lanka's series opener against Pakistan.

Saturday saw Sangakkara record a 10th score of 200 more in the longest format of the international game, surpassing the nine amassed by West Indian Brian Lara. Bradman's dozen is the most.

The left-handed Sangakkara's feat of 221, which featured all of 24 boundaries, afforded the hosts a final total of 533 for nine, after which Pakistan slipped to four for one – and a 78-run deficit.

"I think everyone is second to the Don. I am pretty happy that I am two double tons behind him because that is probably the only way I can even get close to reaching him," said Sangakkara.

"It was quite a bit of hard work out there, and also a little bit of luck. But this game is not over yet. We need to get nine wickets. Our responsibility will be to make the batsman play as much as we can."

The 36-year-old Sangakkara has gathered three double centuries against Bangladesh and Pakistan, two versus South Africa, one in Zimbabwe and another against India.

"My first double ton was against them in Lahore. Since then I've just had a knack of scoring against them. They've got a very good attack, but it's maybe because I'm a left-hander," he added.

"Maybe their spinners find it a bit difficult to bowl to me – I don't know. I think I've had a bit of good fortune as well along the way. They sometimes drop a few catches along the way, which helps me. Sometimes as a batsman you feel in sync and in rhythm with a certain attack, and I think the Pakistanis have been like that for me."

His highest Test score of 319 came against the Bangladeshis in Chittagong in February earlier this year. He has also fallen or been left not out in the 190s on three occasions.