The comparisons between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have become part and parcel of any cricket discussion at this point and with the Australia batsmen finding his form once again in the ongoing Ashes series, the debate surrounding the title of the best batsman in the world has reignited. The battle is clear in the rankings as well as Smith is once again in the second spot when it comes to Test batsmen despite missing a year due to ban.
While Kohli prepares to make the most of his opportunity against West Indies, let’s say not a top quality attack, in the Caribbean, Smith is making his way up the charts and is now just nine points behind Kohli. Smith has overtaken New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and is now breathing down Kohli’s neck.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar weighed in on the comparison but he was clear not to take sides. He said that statistics speak for Kohli but he also hopes that Smith will be able to sustain his brilliant run of form.
“Kohli’s stats speak for himself. But Smith is a very big player and hope he can sustain it for long. But over the past nine years, Kohli’s determination and will to succeed has taken him far. He is a stylish and charismatic player and forms a complete package,” the 44-year-old Akhtar was quoted as saying in his official Youtube Channel.
Although Kohli and Smith won’t be playing against each other, there race to the top in this particular list will begin on Thursday – the day when India play their first Test against West Indies and Australia take on England in the third Ashes Test. Both superstars of the current generation will look to get the better of each other despite being poles apart geographically.
Since 2015, Kohli is the third-highest run-getter in Test cricket, behind Joe Root and Smith. However, it must be noted that Root has played 113 innings during this period while Smith and Kohli have played 72 and 74 innings respectively.
Despite playing less number of innings than Root, both Smith and Kohli are ranked above England captain in the list of most centuries scored since 2015. Smith leads the way with 18 tons – two of which came in the first Ashes Test – while Kohli is just two behind the Australian superstar. The third cricketer on this list is India’s middle-order maestro Cheteshwar Pujara.
In the upcoming two-match Test series, Kohli will get his chance to dethrone Smith from the top of this illustrious list. As for Smith, he will look to continue his run-scoring spree despite being on the wrong side of scary bowling of England’s Jofra Archer.
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