Sachin, Lara, Sangakkara, Kallis, Ponting: Who is the greatest Test match-winner?

Innings wise performance

Which innings is the most challenging one for a batsman? There is no easy answer to this question. Given that conditions can drastically change during the course of a match, what seemed to be a difficult pitch to bat on in the first innings can suddenly transform into a flat track on the final day.

In sub-continental conditions, batting often gets much tougher as the game goes on and final innings centuries become extremely rare and valuable.

The first innings often sets the tone for what is to follow and most top batsmen seek to leave their mark early in the contest. Except Lara, who averages 57.3 in the 1st innings in wins, the other batsmen average more than 60 with Kallis topping the list at 67.9.

Sangakkara has an astonishing record in the second innings in wins (average 104) and is followed by Dravid (72.3) and Ponting (65.2). The averages in the third innings drop for most batsmen except Kallis and Sangakkara, who average above 60 each.

In the fourth innings, which is perhaps the stiffest test for batsmen given the pressure of a chase, Lara averages an exceptional 81 in wins followed by Ponting (67). At the other extreme is Sangakkara, who averaged just over 22 in the 4th innings in wins.

While Lara’s 153* remains one of the greatest knocks in a big chase, Ponting scored superb centuries against South Africa in Cape Town (2002) and Sydney (2006) when faced with big targets. On the second occasion, his century made him the only player to record twin centuries in his 100th Test.

The ratios R1, R2, R3 and R4 compare the averages of the batsmen in the four innings in wins to their corresponding numbers in their overall career. In line with the averages, Kallis and Sangakkara have the highest R1 (1.26) and R2 (1.77). Dravid leads the way in R3 (1.19) while Lara and Ponting end up on top in R4 (2.26 and 1.51).