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Virat Kohli: Former England Test captain Joe Root is currently in exceptional form. The 33-year-old right-handed batter, who tops the ICC Test batting rankings, recently scored twin centuries in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord, surpassing Alastair Cook record for the most Test centuries by an English player. Root is also on the verge of breaking another of Cook’s records to become the all-time leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket.
Root outstanding performances in Test cricket have garnered widespread acclaim from fans, former players and cricket experts. While many consider him one of the greatest cricketers of all time, former Indian wicket keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has expressed a different view. When asked to compare Root and Indian superstar Virat Kohli, Karthik favored Kohli, despite Root’s impressive statistics.
Karthik acknowledged Root superior numbers but emphasized Kohli’s ability to excel in crucial moments and high-pressure situations. The numbers might say Joe Root, but having watched Kohli closely for over a decade, I know how he thrives in big moments and critical series,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz AskCB with DK show. If I had to choose someone to bat for my life, it would be Virat Kohli, no doubt.
Root, who made his Test debut for England against India in Nagpur on December 13, 2012, will take the field for the Ollie Pope-led team in the third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Friday. In the final Test of the ongoing three-match series, Root has the opportunity to make history by becoming the first cricketer to score 5000 runs in the World Test Championship. He currently has 4948 runs from 57 matches, needing just 52 more to reach the milestone.
England Great On Joe Root Breaking Sachin Tendulkar Record
Joe Root is enjoying an exceptional phase in his Test cricket career. In the second Test of the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka, Root scored centuries in both innings, surpassing Alastair Cook to become the England batter with the most Test centuries. With 34 centuries to his name, Root has now edged past Cook record. At 33 years old, Root has accumulated over 12,000 Test runs and is closing in on the all-time record held by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar leads the Test run-scorers’ list with 15,921 runs. When asked if Root could eventually surpass this milestone, former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed confidence. He trails by about three and a half thousand runs and he has three years left. Unless he faces a major setback, he incredibly passionate about the game and knows his craft better than ever now that he’s no longer captain. I’d be amazed if he doesn’t achieve it, Vaughan said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.
Vaughan also speculated that the BCCI would prefer an Indian to hold the top spot. If Joe surpasses Sachin, it would be a significant event for Test cricket. The BCCI would undoubtedly prefer an Indian at the top to ensure the prominence of Test cricket,” he added.
Legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist, also present in the discussion, was more cautious. i’m not sure how long Root hunger for the game will last. At 33, he still relatively young, but we’ll have to see if his desire to play remains strong. I’ll have a clearer view after the Ashes next year,” Gilchrist noted.
Adam Gilchrist says Joe Root is the best English batter ever but Virat Kohli
Joe Root impressive twin centuries in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord have seen him surpass Alastair Cook as England’s leading century-maker and bring him closer to Sachin Tendulkar record for most Test runs. Despite these achievements, debates continue about his place compared to contemporary batters.
Adam Gilchrist has previously favored Virat Kohli over Root in white-ball formats but opts for Root when discussing Test cricket. In recent times, Joe Root’s performances have been exceptional. Over the long term, his statistics are remarkable—he the best England has ever had,” Gilchrist said on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast.
Despite Root considerable run tally, he has yet to make a significant impact in Australia, failing to score a century there. Conversely, Kohli has delivered some of his most memorable innings in Australia, including his notable century on a challenging Perth pitch in 2018. Gilchrist regards Kohli’s Perth century as one of the best he has witnessed, highlighting its exceptional quality.
Michael Vaughan concurs with Gilchrist that Kohli excels in Australia, but prefers Root for performances elsewhere. In Australia, I’d pick Virat Kohli against the Aussies. In any other conditions, Joe Root would be my choice,” Vaughan stated. This ongoing debate underscores the varied strengths of these top batters in different cricketing environments.
Test Careers in India
| Player | Span | Matches (M) | Innings (INN) | Runs | High Score (HS) | Average (AVE) | Strike Rate (S/R) | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | 2012-2024 | 15 | 30 | 1272 | 218 | 45.42 | 50.65 | 3 | 6 |
| Kohli | 2011-2023 | 50 | 77 | 4144 | 254* | 60.05 | 59.00 | 14 | 12 |
| Kane | 2011-2021 | 8 | 15 | 503 | 131 | 33.53 | 40.20 | 1 | 3 |
| Smith | 2010-2023 | 10 | 19 | 805 | 178* | 50.31 | 44.06 | 3 | 1 |
Joe Root and Kane Williamson performances in India highlight how challenging it is for overseas players to succeed in these conditions. Joe Root has done quite well in India, playing 15 matches with an average of 45. He debuted in India and has scored three centuries and six half-centuries. which is a solid record considering the difficulty of playing in Indian conditions. Root has even scored a double century, with his best of 218 coming in Chennai.
Virat Kohli, playing at home, has been exceptional, averaging 60 with 14 centuries in India, even though his recent numbers might not be as strong as before. Steve Smith has played 10 matches in India, averaging 50 with three centuries, making him and Root almost neck and neck in terms of performance. Root, has more half-centuries (six) but has also played five more matches than Smith.
Kane Williamson, on the other hand, has struggled a bit more in India compared to his performances elsewhere. While his strike rate and averages at home are impressive, he hasn’t been able to replicate that success in India. As for Kohli, there no point in comparing him here because India is his home ground and he has been consistently dominant with a 60 average. Although Kohli form might have dipped slightly recently, his record at home remains formidable.