Virat Kohli rated top test batter, leaving behind Babar, Root, Smith and Williamson: Shane Watson: Former Australian legendary all-rounder Shane Watson rates Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli higher than anyone in the list of finest batters. Watson while giving his “fab 5” rankings, picked Virat Kohli at the top and regarded him as “superhuman” with what Virat has managed to achieve.
The fab 5 list includes the likes of New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Australian batter Steve Smith, England skipper Joe Root and Pakistan captain Babar Azam. For the longest time, it only used to be fab 4, however, the rise of Babar Azam, in the last couple of years, as a world-class leading batter in all three formats made him an unmissable part of it.
Though it has always been a controversial topic of rating the best test batter without any specific criteria and everyone knew that it would certainly attract criticism, however, Shane Watson decided to take a dive into it and give it a shot.
The former Aussie ranked Virat Kohli at number one despite knowing the fact that Virat hasn’t been at his best since 2019. The Indian batter hasn’t scored a single century in either of the cricketing formats for the last 2 years.
“In Test match cricket, I am always going to say Virat Kohli. It’s nearly superhuman, what he is able to do because he has such high intensity everytime he goes out to play. Watson said, about Kohli, who is currently ranked 10th in ICC Test batters, to Isa Guha when asked whom he rates as the best Test batsman on the ICC Review Show.
ALSO READ: IPL 2022 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap – Updated on April 14
He then ranked Pakistani skipper Babar Azam at two following his heroics in the last couple of years. Azam has managed to score 769 runs in his last 10 test innings for Pakistan.
“Babar Azam is playing incredibly well. It’s great to be able to see how he has adapted his game to really move his game to Test cricket as well. Babar Azam would probably be No.2 at the moment,” pointed out Watson.
The Aussie kept his compatriot Steve Smith at third position followed by Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson, who is struggling a bit with his elbow injury. To end his list of fab 5, Watson named Joe Root for the final spot.
“Steve Smith has just started to come off a little bit. It looks like Smith has really started to play for time a little bit more and is not putting as much pressure on the bowlers as he did when was at his absolute best. For me, Steve has dropped down that list a little bit,” added Watson.
ALSO READ: Not concerned at all about Rohit’s batting form: MI coach Mahela Jayawardene