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In an undisclosed format, who would you pick to bat for your life; Azhar Ali or Virat Kohli?

Hasan123 said:
Azhar is a brilliant test player but has limitations and his core strengths aren't suited to LO cricket. I have said time and time again he is Pakistan's best batter under pressure. But I would still Kohli over Azhar in a pressure situation. If it was to bat all day in tests I'll probably take Azhar but in other pressure situations in odi or test I'll take Kohli.

Shaz is making too much out of one failure tbh.
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Firstly it's just a question so don't take it personally. Also, one Virat failure is not my sole reason for selecting Azhar to bat for my life its a combination of Kohli not being so great and Azhar thriving when the heat is turned up.

Azhar did well in England, Kohli did not.

Both did well in Aus.

In the CT and biggest 50 over game of their careers, Azhar triumphed.

Furthermore, Azhar is a lot more sound technically with regards to off stump awareness and his temperament is superior while Kohli has the more naturally gifted stroke play.

So if it was any meaningless game or the conditions and opposition were batsman friendly then I'd pick Virat. But given the importance of the game I'd pick Azhar in this instance because he is a lot more likely to thrive under the pressure. Each to their own I suppose...
 
Monsee said:
Highlighted bit and rest perfectly describe Mr. Kohli and I agree he should not be the one picked :-)
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Bro stop living in your own bubble. This is just a minuscule community and in any forum on a global platform, this comparison is a non-comparision. These guys are entirely different and any day of the week Virat is a greater player simply because of his innumerable match winning knocks and consistency. So I can only say that you are an extremely one eyed person. And I say this with absolutely no disrespect to Azhar Ali who in himself is a very good batsman. Bot this is bordering on insanity.
 
Azhar for sure. How could u not pick the greatest batsmen to ever play the game. Heck I would choose Azhar batting once then kohli batting 11 times
 
I would chose Azhar in any format, any condition, any opposition, anywhere in the world.... Azhar is the only batsman who guaranteed get a century each match with his natural game... you just haven't seen him on his best... wait and watch when Azhar plays PSL as opener... he will get NOT OUT 200+ INSHALLAH... kohli is nowhere close to the class player Azhar is.... 1 Azhar equals 15 kohlis... that's the golden equation
 
Kohli averages better than Azhar in all formats, has more 100s in Australia and SA than entire Pakistani team combined and yet Azhar is a better batsman.
 
Fake stats... who cares about useless hundreds?

35,32,42,59,64,64, 50
is much better than

0,5,1,2,116,8,21
 
shaz619 said:
Firstly it's just a question so don't take it personally. Also, one Virat failure is not my sole reason for selecting Azhar to bat for my life its a combination of Kohli not being so great and Azhar thriving when the heat is turned up.

Azhar did well in England, Kohli did not.

Both did well in Aus.

In the CT and biggest 50 over game of their careers, Azhar triumphed.

Furthermore, Azhar is a lot more sound technically with regards to off stump awareness and his temperament is superior while Kohli has the more naturally gifted stroke play.

So if it was any meaningless game or the conditions and opposition were batsman friendly then I'd pick Virat. But given the importance of the game I'd pick Azhar in this instance because he is a lot more likely to thrive under the pressure. Each to their own I suppose...
Click to expand...


Azhar is brilliant in survival mode but test cricket isn't always about surviving. Sometimes there are periods when you need to accelerate the scoring and rotate the strike. In a situation like that I would take Kohli as well.

I would take Azhar in a survival mode situation in tests. In other formats and other situations I'll take Kohli overall.
 
Seems like a lot of PPers care very little about their lives...

This is a very easy question :kohli

The_Odd_One said:
Kohli averages better than Azhar in all formats, has more 100s in Australia and SA than entire Pakistani team combined and yet Azhar is a better batsman.
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Kohli had a bad game and is getting attacked from all corners. Truth is he is still an infinitely superior batsmen to Azhar.
 
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If the occasion ever arose, I imagine a lot of those saying Azhar would be singing another tune.
 
shaz619 said:
Firstly it's just a question so don't take it personally. Also, one Virat failure is not my sole reason for selecting Azhar to bat for my life its a combination of Kohli not being so great and Azhar thriving when the heat is turned up.

Azhar did well in England, Kohli did not.

Both did well in Aus.

In the CT and biggest 50 over game of their careers, Azhar triumphed.

Furthermore, Azhar is a lot more sound technically with regards to off stump awareness and his temperament is superior while Kohli has the more naturally gifted stroke play.

So if it was any meaningless game or the conditions and opposition were batsman friendly then I'd pick Virat. But given the importance of the game I'd pick Azhar in this instance because he is a lot more likely to thrive under the pressure. Each to their own I suppose...
Click to expand...
Kohli is an guaranteed ATG before the age of 30, Azhar at 32 is not and probably never will be :facepalm:
 
Aman said:
Seems like a lot of PPers care very little about their lives...

This is a very easy question :kohli

Kohli had a bad game and is getting attacked from all corners. Truth is he is still an infinitely superior batsmen to Azhar.
Click to expand...
Have you become Kohli's fan now? :inti [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]
 
Bhaag Viru Bhaag said:
Have you become Kohli's fan now? :inti [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]
Click to expand...
I don't like Kohli, but you would have to be foolish to discredit Kohli.

Comparing Azhar to Kohli is an insult to someone of Kohli's caliber.

What's next? Comparing Shehzad to Steve Smith?
 
shaz619 said:
Azhar has won his country an ICC Trophy in the 50 over format, Kohli has not.

Azhar has performed in both Australia and England, Kohli has not.

Azhar rarely goes missing in high pressure scenario's so I question those who would pick Virat without hesitation to bat for their life.
Click to expand...

Kohli has two ICC trophies at the age of 28. He has more WCs than the entire Pakistani squad combined...

Your hate for him is getting ridiculous and I can assure you it will bite you in the backside.

Knowing Kohli, you know he's going to go big in the following matches against Pakistan to redeem himself.
 
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Hasan123 said:
Azhar is brilliant in survival mode but test cricket isn't always about surviving. Sometimes there are periods when you need to accelerate the scoring and rotate the strike. In a situation like that I would take Kohli as well.

I would take Azhar in a survival mode situation in tests. In other formats and other situations I'll take Kohli overall.
Click to expand...

You are basically just copy and pasting the propaganda of other posters who have brain washed you. If Kohli is better then Azhar, why is it that he couldn't even score more runs then Amir in England forget Azhar; on top of that Azhar outperformed him in the biggest limited overs game of their lives more recently and doesn't coward out like some when the going gets tough, he is a lot stronger mentally and would deliver when the stakes have been raised so I can't pick the chicken hearted Virat
 
Congratulations [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] for creating what will most probably go down as the most epic and bumpable thread over time. :)
 
Well Pakistan won a CT (which they deserved for long time) Good for cricket actually (their cricket was down, no matches in their country, etc). Even some Indians feel happy for this. But then so much more cricket has to be played... Bilaterals also count... Let's see how they progress from here on and how they improve their ranking. India also won last CT and they are being doing pretty well in most ICC tournaments (reached finals here also). Suddenly all Pakistan players becoming superior to Indian counterparts? Well good luck with that!

Kohli (or any Indian player) have been playing their parts in many crucial matches. I know Kohli has to perform in World Cup matches, but he still has time and opportunity... I think Captaincy came bit early to him! I feel there should have been somebody between Dhoni & Kohli to guide India in the intermediate period. By that time Kohli would have accomplished a bit more and also got matured in his thinking (of handling other players, team, coach, etc). Rohit? I guess he made debut before Kohli, but never grew up as a consistent player for India in all formats. He was one of those intermediate guy! I think he had reasonable captaincy skills (probably better than Kohli? I think Kohli is captaining Indian team based on his reputation more than captaincy skills!)

Kohli's captaincy is definitely hurting his batting (I am not sure how many of you have observed it). Even in the last T20 WC where Dhoni captained the side, he played crucial knocks in Semifinals & other important matches (against Australia, Pakistan...) It is very unfortunate that he is stepping down in his form and impact and getting compared to players below his ranks...
 
At the Test level, Azhar has a superior average to Virat in Australia and England overall while Virat has a better average in NZ and SA.

In Test wins Azhar has an average of 55.75 with 8 hundreds while Virat has average of 55.02 with 7 hundreds.

In ICC 50 over tournament finals which does not include rain effected games, Azhar Ali has a score of 50 or more in wins. While Kohli has a score of less than 50 in a rain affected 20 over CT final win.

Current Test ranking, Virat at no.5 and Azhar at no.7

Azhar batting position = 1
Virat batting position = 4

In high profile Pakistan v India ODI 50 over Tournament final contests Azhar has a score of greater then 50 in wins while Virat Kohli has a score of less than 10 in defeat.
 
shaz619 said:
At the Test level, Azhar has a superior average to Virat in Australia and England overall while Virat has a better average in NZ and SA.

In Test wins Azhar has an average of 55.75 with 8 hundreds while Virat has average of 55.02 with 7 hundreds.

In ICC 50 over tournament finals which does not include rain effected games, Azhar Ali has a score of 50 or more in wins. While Kohli has a score of less than 50 in a rain affected 20 over CT final win.

Current Test ranking, Virat at no.5 and Azhar at no.7

Azhar batting position = 1
Virat batting position = 4

In high profile Pakistan v India ODI 50 over Tournament final contests Azhar has a score of greater then 50 in wins while Virat Kohli has a score of less than 10 in defeat.
Click to expand...
Kohli has superior Test numbers to Azhar and is arguably not even in his prime yet.

Don't bother comparing them in LOI, anyone who does that does not have a clue. In LOI, there isn't a batsmen on the planet that is better than Kohli.
 
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Aman said:
Kohli has superior Test numbers to Azhar and is arguably not even in his prime yet.

Don't bother comparing them in LOI, anyone who does that does not have a clue. In LOI, there isn't a batsmen on the planet that is better than Kohli.
Click to expand...

I only respond to the smart folk around here who don't resort to images and ad hominem. You will be refereed to the ignore list henceforth, your inept retort doesn't help you either.
 
shaz619 said:
I only respond to the smart folk around here who don't resort to images and ad hominem. You will be refereed to the ignore list henceforth, your inept retort doesn't help you either.
Click to expand...
I suggest you look up the meaning of inept :salute

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Azhar isn't ranked in the top 100 T20 batsmen.
 
shaz619 said:
At the Test level, Azhar has a superior average to Virat in Australia and England overall while Virat has a better average in NZ and SA.

In Test wins Azhar has an average of 55.75 with 8 hundreds while Virat has average of 55.02 with 7 hundreds.

In ICC 50 over tournament finals which does not include rain effected games, Azhar Ali has a score of 50 or more in wins. While Kohli has a score of less than 50 in a rain affected 20 over CT final win.

Current Test ranking, Virat at no.5 and Azhar at no.7

Azhar batting position = 1
Virat batting position = 4

In high profile Pakistan v India ODI 50 over Tournament final contests Azhar has a score of greater then 50 in wins while Virat Kohli has a score of less than 10 in defeat.
Click to expand...
How is opening on dust balls difficult? We all saw how Azhar went on pitches which had a bit of sideways movement in NZ. I can't comment on his performances in England as I didn't get a chance to watch the series, but he was pretty rubbish in NZ.
 
Crafty_Indian said:
Bro stop living in your own bubble. This is just a minuscule community and in any forum on a global platform, this comparison is a non-comparision. These guys are entirely different and any day of the week Virat is a greater player simply because of his innumerable match winning knocks and consistency. So I can only say that you are an extremely one eyed person. And I say this with absolutely no disrespect to Azhar Ali who in himself is a very good batsman. Bot this is bordering on insanity.
Click to expand...



Look up def of 'Sarcasm'...then read my comments again; although in Tests, in some aspects/regions Azhar has completely outshone Kohli especially since Kohli usually has the cushion of a good opening partnership behind him before he comes in to bat; this makes batting that much easier when conditions are more stable!
 
shaz619 said:
You are basically just copy and pasting the propaganda of other posters who have brain washed you. If Kohli is better then Azhar, why is it that he couldn't even score more runs then Amir in England forget Azhar; on top of that Azhar outperformed him in the biggest limited overs game of their lives more recently and doesn't coward out like some when the going gets tough, he is a lot stronger mentally and would deliver when the stakes have been raised so I can't pick the chicken hearted Virat
Click to expand...

Lol no one is brain washing, if someone doesn't agree with your opinion it doesn't make them brainwashed.


The longer Kohli bats the more impact he has , Azhar is a brilliant grinder but the longer he bats his scoring rate doesn't significantly increase. Test cricket isn't about blocking every single ball and always grinding. There are times where you need or rotate the strike and be positive.

Kohli has carried Indian LO batting so I wouldn't call him a chicken.
 
Hasan123 said:
Lol no one is brain washing, if someone doesn't agree with your opinion it doesn't make them brainwashed.


The longer Kohli bats the more impact he has , Azhar is a brilliant grinder but the longer he bats his scoring rate doesn't significantly increase. Test cricket isn't about blocking every single ball and always grinding. There are times where you need or rotate the strike and be positive.

Kohli has carried Indian LO batting so I wouldn't call him a chicken.
Click to expand...

Yet Azhar has superior average and more hundreds in Test Victories then Kohli, he is also an opener. And despite his limitations in the limited forms trumped in the biggest 50 over ODI games of their lives, an ICC Final between India and Pakistan.
 
shaz619 said:
Yet Azhar has superior average and more hundreds in Test Victories then Kohli, he is also an opener. And despite his limitations in the limited forms trumped in the biggest 50 over ODI games of their lives, an ICC Final between India and Pakistan.
Click to expand...


Kohli's last few centuries have resulted in wins so he has had impact in tests in the last year or so.

So Azhar is a better odi player because he scored in a game which Kohli didn't?
 
It's a shame that just because of this ridiculous thread people are having to put down Azhar who in his own right is a solid batsman overall, and world class in tests.

A few weeks ago some Indians here were saying how the Indian pacers are better than Pakistan pacers and I was clear that they don't hold a candle to Amir who is in a different league!

So I'll have to be consistent here and repeat that Kohli is in a different league to Azhar especially when you are considering all formats

The problem is that it's not a serious enough thread and has little basis in facts for anyone to statistically attenpt to make this case
 
Hasan123 said:
Kohli's last few centuries have resulted in wins so he has had impact in tests in the last year or so.

So Azhar is a better odi player because he scored in a game which Kohli didn't?
Click to expand...

Well you criticised the S/R of an opener and pointed out how you prefer Kohli due to his better impact when it comes to wins in Tests yet Azhar has a superior record in wins that too despite being an opener.

Well am just stating the facts here and he did triumph in a 50 over ICC tournament final against India in a high profile pressure cooker, Azhar evidently thrives under pressure and is not limited by the quality of bowling attacks, situation and conditions; so I'd pick Azhar to bat for my life.
 
Slog said:
It's a shame that just because of this ridiculous thread people are having to put down Azhar who in his own right is a solid batsman overall, and world class in tests.

A few weeks ago some Indians here were saying how the Indian pacers are better than Pakistan pacers and I was clear that they don't hold a candle to Amir who is in a different league!

So I'll have to be consistent here and repeat that Kohli is in a different league to Azhar especially when you are considering all formats

The problem is that it's not a serious enough thread and has little basis in facts for anyone to statistically attenpt to make this case
Click to expand...

So you would pick Kohli over Azhar to bat for your life in an undisclosed format?

Now the lack of appreciation for your life is ridiculous and I think it's something you need to take more seriously and not join in the bhangra dance of those whom are blinded by their fandom. If Kohli is this god why did he fail in the final recently and Azhar did not? furthermore Azhar also has a superior record in Test wins and doesn't choke like Virat when the going gets tough.
 
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Buffet said:
Post the records for both. Just curious about difference in their record.
Click to expand...

I have done so, research the thread; so this big gulf in class narrow minded folk spew is very very ignorant. Also, Azhar is an opener as well his job is a lot of tougher then Kohli who also tends to enjoy more support from his team mates but tends to go missing when the going gets tough.
 
shaz619 said:
Azhar also has a superior record in Test wins.
Click to expand...

Buffet said:
Post the records for both. Just curious about difference in their record.
Click to expand...

I found it easier to look up in cricinfo,

Kohli in wins:

27 tests - Avg 55, SR 59, 7 tons



Ali in wins:

27 tests - Avg 55 , SR 45 , 8 tons


I don't see any much difference in their performance when their team won test matches.

Anyway, avg or tons in wins is just one side of story. It's very important to see what they did when their team didn't win( draw or loss).
 
Buffet said:
I found it easier to look up in cricinfo,

Kohli in wins:

27 tests - Avg 55, SR 59, 7 tons



Ali in wins:

27 tests - Avg 55 , SR 45 , 8 tons


I don't see any much difference in their performance when their team won test matches.

Anyway, avg or tons in wins is just one side of story. It's very important to see what they did when their team didn't win( draw or loss).
Click to expand...

Those numbers had be discussed and are in fact the most important, a rhetoric was being advocated which involved praising Kohli's impact compared to Azhar Ali when unfortunately his record is in fact inferior when it comes to winning games for his country.
 
Kholi is the better player and a matchwinner, I would die watching blockathon innings from Azhar anyways so there would be nothing left to be saved
 
shaz619 said:
Well you criticised the S/R of an opener and pointed out how you prefer Kohli due to his better impact when it comes to wins in Tests yet Azhar has a superior record in wins that too despite being an opener.

Well am just stating the facts here and he did triumph in a 50 over ICC tournament final against India in a high profile pressure cooker, Azhar evidently thrives under pressure and is not limited by the quality of bowling attacks, situation and conditions; so I'd pick Azhar to bat for my life.
Click to expand...

When seeing off the new ball Azhar strike rate is irrelevant but once he is set his strike will rarely be above 50 hence the lack of impact.

I'll take Kohli
 
I can think of much better batsmen to bat for my life, but if the choice is between these two then it is obviously Kohli. Choosing Azhar would be akin to committing suicide.
 
Hasan123 said:
When seeing off the new ball Azhar strike rate is irrelevant but once he is set his strike will rarely be above 50 hence the lack of impact.

I'll take Kohli
Click to expand...

When it comes to making an impact Azhar has a better record in wins so I will take Azhar
 
This same virat Kohli scored a crucial top score 43 not out in 2013 CT final. And people are saying all this due to
one match . Oh God why PPrs have such short memory :afridi
httpm.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scorecard/11562/eng-vs-ind-final-icc-champions
 
Haripotter said:
Are you sure ? Kohli has 17 hundred in victory while chasing . How many does azhar have ? :uakmal
Click to expand...

We are discussing Tests and with regards to ODI's there is a thread I've created dissecting those hundreds, may I also remind you that last week in the biggest game of their lives Azhar humiliated India and Virat typically crumbled when the going got tough and the ball deviated a little
 
Well in Kohli's defense he was up against the most skilled bowler of this generation...someone who many regard as Akram's second coming
 
You didnt specify. Does batting for your life mean not getting out or scoring as many runs possible? Also we dont know how Azhar would have done chasing a massive total in a tournament final. We know Pak normally fails chasing high LOI scores under pressure (with Azhar in the line up) but Kohli does have a history chasing said high scores
 
Haripotter said:
This same virat Kohli scored a crucial top score 43 not out in 2013 CT final. And people are saying all this due to
one match . Oh God why PPrs have such short memory :afridi
httpm.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scorecard/11562/eng-vs-ind-final-icc-champions
Click to expand...

Please stop equating one poster to whole of PP
 
shaz619 said:
So you would pick Kohli over Azhar to bat for your life in an undisclosed format?

Now the lack of appreciation for your life is ridiculous and I think it's something you need to take more seriously and not join in the bhangra dance of those whom are blinded by their fandom. If Kohli is this god why did he fail in the final recently and Azhar did not? furthermore Azhar also has a superior record in Test wins and doesn't choke like Virat when the going gets tough.
Click to expand...

There is no blind fandom.

I'm probably one of Kohli's biggest critic here but only thing is it's fair criticism rather than criticism out of jealousy or for the sake of it

Kohli trumps Azhar in ODIs and T20s and in tests both are good but have some holes in their records.

Kohli is a World Cup winner and has already top scored and helped his team win a CT final
 
Azhar has more compact off stump game as compared to Kohli. That's about it.
 
Slog said:
There is no blind fandom.

I'm probably one of Kohli's biggest critic here but only thing is it's fair criticism rather than criticism out of jealousy or for the sake of it

Kohli trumps Azhar in ODIs and T20s and in tests both are good but have some holes in their records.

Kohli is a World Cup winner and has already top scored and helped his team win a CT final
Click to expand...

Then if you can resort to ad hominem I call put down your views to an inferior complex and ineptness since am being accused of criticism out of jealousy, it's really moronic to suggest that; if I wanted to do that I'd not provide my reasons. I genuinely don't rate the guy in pressure scenario's more then Azhar Ali. Kohli did nothing in that WC, see the fallacies of people who spew such none sense ? and that CT he won was a glorified T20 game, the wicket he batted on was also subcontinental like I was there personally whilst the bowlers did not manage to get the ball to deviate as much as Amir who even managed that on a batting paradise against all odds.
 
In my opinion, Azhar completely crushes Kohli in most cricket techniques and strengths. I consider him being the superior batsman, if not the best batsmen from the subcontinent. Azhar is a hero for Pakistan and he has earned every bit of respect from the heart of every Pakistani.
 
Our [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] the recent Eid. :)) :)))

Henna about Kohli.JPG
 
^^^
Whoever it may be, and it is a female of course, it just goes to show how much cricket means in our country. Just when India seemed to be running away with it in the rivalry, Pakistan bounce back to breathe life into it, absolutely! Wins like the one on the 18th are good for the game. Well done Pakistan and our fans!
 
Hey, a shower though: since The CT PHAINTA, we are observing a new (weakened) VK.

Maybe, we'll see a better AA from now on. He's got great technique (Alhamdulillah), with Fakhar Zaman on other end, he should improve his SR and play better cricket.

I got a feeling the CT partnership will do wonders for our opening pair (InshaAllah).
 
Azhar Ali is far ahead of Virat "nahi hota tujsey chase" Kohli at playing lateral movement. Kohli is a bunny whenever the ball swings, seams, turns or reverses.

Lately though, VK hasn't been handling the bounce too well either.
 
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