Who Was the Better Batsman/Captain: Sourav Ganguly or Andrew Strauss?
Andrew Strauss and Sourav Ganguly played pivotal roles for England and India respectively during their international careers.
Both left-handed batsmen not only contributed plenty of runs, they also led their national teams with distinction.
Strauss captained his country 50 times in Test action. His record of 24 wins makes him the second-most successful skipper in England’s long history, behind only Michael Vaughan.
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Ganguly won 21 of his 49 Test matches in charge, while he is the only India skipper to have ever won a series in Pakistan.
They share similar statistical records as individual players and leaders, but who was the better batsman/captain?
Andrew Strauss
| Test career | ODI career | |
| Appearances | 100 | 127 |
| Runs | 7,037 | 4,205 |
| Average | 40.91 | 35.63 |
| Centuries | 21 | 6 |
A former Radley College pupil who earned an economics degree from Durham University, Strauss had to wait until he was 26 to make his international bow.
The Middlesex batsman was first picked by England in their one-day team, with his chance in the Test arena not arriving until 2004 when he was selected as a replacement for the injured Vaughan.
Handed a debut at his home ground of Lord’s, he hit 112 in his maiden innings. He also made a hundred on his first appearance for England overseas, against South Africa—the country where he was born—at Port Elizabeth.
Strauss had his first taste of Test captaincy in 2006, standing in for Vaughan during the home series against Pakistan. However, he was overlooked in favour of Andrew Flintoff for the disastrous Ashes tour that winter.
He was eventually handed the job on a permanent basis in 2009 following the dismissals of captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores.
While his first match in charge was a disaster—England were dismissed for 51 by West Indies in Jamaica to suffer an innings defeat— he quickly formed a strong working relationship with team director Andy Flower.
Under Strauss’ stewardship, England enjoyed Ashes success—both at home and in Australia—while a series sweep of India in the summer of 2011 pushed them to the summit of the Test rankings.
They stayed there until the following year, when defeat to South Africa saw them surrender top spot. Strauss retired from all forms of cricket after the final Test against the Proteas. It was his 100th for England and also his 50th at the helm.
Career highlight: 177 vs. New Zealand
His hundred on debut at Lord’s was special, but Strauss’ England career may well have come to a rather premature end had he not made runs in Napier early in 2008.
Recalled to bat in the middle order after a lean time of it in 2007, he continued to struggle for runs until his final chance in the New Zealand series. He produced his highest Test score from 343 balls, having spent over eight hours at the crease.
Sourav Ganguly
| Test career | ODI career | |
| Appearances | 113 | 311 |
| Runs | 7,212 | 11,363 |
| Average | 42.17 | 41.02 |
| Centuries | 16 | 22 |
Nicknamed “The Prince of Calcutta” having been born into a wealthy family in the city, Ganguly was a player who scored runs with a touch of class.
He made his debut for India in 1992 at the age of 19 in a one-day game against West Indies, but he was not picked again by his country for a further four years.
Like Strauss, Ganguly marked his Test debut at Lord’s with a century. Rahul Dravid also made his first appearance for India in the same match; the duo would go on to become cornerstones of the India side for over a decade.
While Dravid became known as “The Wall” for his ability to keep out opponents, there was nothing defensive about the way Ganguly played.
The left-hander became renowned for his glorious shots through the off side, offering the full face of what always looked a ridiculously big bat to anything even slightly too full from the bowler.
Together with Sachin Tendulkar, the man he replaced as captain in 2000, Ganguly was one half of the most prolific opening partnership in 50-over cricket, per Howstat.com.
He steered India to the World Cup final in 2003, where they lost out to Australia and was his nation’s most successful skipper in Test cricket until recently, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni taking the record from him.
A loss of form and a very public falling out with coach Greg Chappell saw him lose not only the captaincy but also his place in the team. Chappell would later go on to write in his autobiography, per the Times of India: “Sourav had great batting and leadership talent, but never realised his potential because he was consumed by what he saw as the threats around him.”
He returned to the international fold and would go on to reach the landmark of 100 Tests—as well as also featuring in over 300 one-day games—before announcing his retirement in 2008.
Career highlight: 239 vs. Pakistan
There are few things sweeter for an Indian batsman than scoring runs against Pakistan. Ganguly recorded his career best against India’s neighbours in December of 2007.
He hit 30 fours and two sixes during the third and final Test in Bangalore. The match would eventually finish in a draw, meaning India took the series 1-0.
Final verdict
There is much to admire about the international careers of both men.
Strauss was an elegant player who loved to cut and drive the ball square of the wicket on the off side, although his favoured area of scoring also proved his downfall as opposing teams worked him out.
However, he showed real strength of character to come through a seriously lean stretch midway through his career and prosper again at the top level.
Although he was a skipper that often wore a smile rather than a scowl out on the field, Strauss was far from a soft touch.
Ganguly was also a tough cookie to come up against. He did not mind confrontation, even seeming to revel in it at times on the field.
He will perhaps always be remembered more for his one-day exploits, and his alliance at the top of the order with Tendulkar was both beautiful and brutal.
Often Ganguly would look to move his front leg out of the way and hit powerfully down the ground or over the top of cover. It helped, too, that in the 50-over game he could not be peppered with too many short deliveries.
But, with Test cricket still valued as the pinnacle of the sport, Strauss’ achievements during his time in charge of England just get him the nod.
Winner: Andrew Strauss
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