Best Test Batsman Race – Smith, Williamson, Root all in top form, will Virat Kohli wait to hit a 100 end against England? – Other than winning the upcoming Test series against England, Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be desperate to hit a century in the forthcoming four-match Test series and keep pace with other top Test batsmen Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith, who all have smashed at least a ton each in recent times.
Notably, Kohli ended 2020 without an international century, his first such calendar year in 12 years. His debut year, 2008, when he was picked to the national side after leading India under-19 team to a World Cup title, was the last time he went a calendar year without a century.
Now the 32-year-old batsman will be looking to make amends and start 2021 with a century. Also, it is worth mentioning that Kohli’s top competitors in Test cricket – Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith scored minimum a century in their respective last Test series.
Root: England skipper Root followed his maiden double century in Asia with another century in the subsequent Test against Sri Lanka. Root was outstanding in the two-match series which England won 2-0.
Williamson: New Zeland skipper Kane Williamson recently became the World no.1 batsman courtesy his consistent performance in home series where he registered a third triple-digit score in three Test matches.
Other than two back-to-back centuries in the Test series against Pakistan, the New Zealand skipper was outstanding in the previously concluded series against West Indies, in which Williamson hit a brilliant 251 – his highest individual score in Tests.
Smith: First Hundred since Sep 2019: Smith averaged just around 19 in the 3 Tests he played in 2020 and his last hundred had come in September 2019 vs England. But with the ton against India in the third Test in Sydney, the 31-year-old came back in the fray.
To put things into perspective – where they stand overall?
Overall Smith is on top as he averages 61.80 – having scored 7540 runs in 77 Tests with 27 Test centuries.
Kohli is at 2nd having scored 7318 runs in 87 Tests at an average of 53.41. Kohli also has 27 tons to his credit.
Williamson is 3rd with an average of 54.31- 7115 runs in 83 Tests and 24 tons.
Joe Root is 4th on the list with an average of 49.39 – 8249 runs in 99 Tests and 19 centuries.
Joe Root is 4th on the list with an average of 49.39 – 8249 runs in 99 Tests and 19 centuries.