Smith, Root, Williamson, Kohli

[Carbine Chaos]

Kohli's test cricket has come a long way in the last twelve months or so. I'd say he has the ability to have an average greater than 50 if he continues on that trajectory. He's a bit behind at this stage, though.

Kohli had a relatively poor 2015, since taking the captaincy his batting let him down somewhat. Went from a 56 average in 2013, to 45 in 2014, to 43 in 2015. Still rate him up there with the others in this thread but his Test game has gone backwards a bit the last few years.

 

[CD__]

This will (probably) be scoffed at by a few but if Warner has another dominant year then he will have to be included in this conversation.

2 years older than Kohli but only 8 more tests...has already scored 5 more centuries than Virat as well,

Could quite easily end his career with the most ever hundreds by an opening batsmen if Alastair Cook doesn't rediscover his form.

For the record Sunil Gavaskar has the record at 33 test-centuries opening the batting, Cook is currently on 28 (although only 26 as opener) and Warner is at 16 (Hayden has the most by an Australian at 30, not sure if all of those were opening the innings, however)

 

[Shane Sheridan]

Williamson for me. Just don't want him to captain though. Seen it effect too many good batsmen in a negative way. Just let the bloke bat.

 

[frankrizzo]

So who gets made kiwi skipper then in the tests?

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Williamson for me. Just don't want him to captain though. Seen it effect too many good batsmen in a negative way. Just let the bloke bat.

Not having any impact on Smith, really.

History means nothing to the individual. Williamson has to skip.

 

[Noobz0r]

I just can't go past Williamson's technique. Traditional and textbook, he doesn't need to invent shots. I think Smith will end with the best stats of the 4, though.

 

[Noobz0r]

Williamson for me. Just don't want him to captain though. Seen it effect too many good batsmen in a negative way. Just let the bloke bat.

Who do you give it to then?

 

[Donnie Darko]

I just can't go past Williamson's technique. Traditional and textbook, he doesn't need to invent shots. I think Smith will end with the best stats of the 4, though.

Best stats?
because he constantly plays on lifeless flat decks. When the ball moves he doesnt make runs .

 

[Noobz0r]

Best stats?
because he constantly plays on lifeless flat decks. When the ball moves he doesnt make runs .

That hardly makes my comment invalid though, does it?

 

[Noobz0r]

Best stats?
because he constantly plays on lifeless flat decks. When the ball moves he doesnt make runs .

Also, just as a broad guide, which country do you think has the toughest batting conditions?

 

[frankrizzo]

Also, just as a broad guide, which country do you think has the toughest batting conditions?

Smith somehow averages over 50 outside our roads so must be Bangladesh or somewhere he hasn't played yet...

 

[Super Hans]

Best stats?
because he constantly plays on lifeless flat decks. When the ball moves he doesnt make runs .

Smiths test record in every country:

South Africa and England would have the most swing friendly conditions from those countries and he averages 67 and 43 in both of those. Hasn't played in NZ yet which could be a test given how much it swings and how good their bowlers are in those conditions.

 

[krisholio14]

Smiths test record in every country:

South Africa and England would have the most swing friendly conditions from those countries and he averages 67 and 43 in both of those. Hasn't played in NZ yet which could be a test given how much it swings and how good their bowlers are in those conditions.

Even in places where his technique can get found out, he still finds a way to make runs and keep his average up there.

 

[Hellgood]

Williamson for me. Just don't want him to captain though. Seen it effect too many good batsmen in a negative way. Just let the bloke bat.

Hasn't really worried him whatsoever in the shorter formats. Nor did it hurt Steve Smith. Kohli's average drop since taking it on is more to do with the conditions that they have played in.

 

[Hellgood]

1989, 1990, 1990, 1988. Hardly a generation gap. Also has the best ODI record by a mile. The Lara/Tendulkar/Ponting comparisons don't dwell on the fact that Lara is 4 years older than Tendulkar and 5 years older than Ponting.

Anyway, no love for Mominul Haque? A year younger than Root and Williamson, 17 tests, 1456 runs @ 56. I hope that more challengers emerge from the other test nations. When all the attention was on Lara/Tendulkar/Ponting guys like Kallis, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Yousuf etc. all managed to fly under the radar. With the exception of Zimbabwe who I think will lose test status the Windies seem the least likely to produce top quality test batsmen at this point.

Mominul is excellent from what I have seen, but sample size is too small in comparison with the other blokes on the list to be putting him up there with them. Not his fault, but still.

Well oddly enough, for your last comment Darren Bravo is thereabouts. Again, not quite in the top bracket but at the moment would be fairly high on the list and if consistency improves could be climbing the list rapidly.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Who do you give it to then?

maybe Watling ? very well thought of within NZ cricket

but big ask to keep and Captain

 

[KiwiRoo]

Also, just as a broad guide, which country do you think has the toughest batting conditions?

South Africa ?. Seems to be a lot of low scoring games there

 

[Donnie Darko]

Also, just as a broad guide, which country do you think has the toughest batting conditions?

For spin, India..
For swing , England..

 

[Donnie Darko]

Smiths test record in every country:

South Africa and England would have the most swing friendly conditions from those countries and he averages 67 and 43 in both of those. Hasn't played in NZ yet which could be a test given how much it swings and how good their bowlers are in those conditions.

In England he has 3 notable innings on occasions when the ball did nothing...
When the ball was swinging I noticed he was troubled. Just an observation...

All the batsmen listed in the original post are dangerous players in the right conditions...
Not many players can come to England and handle the duke ball when it swings...

 

[frankrizzo]

In England he has 3 notable innings on occasions when the ball did nothing...
When the ball was swinging I noticed he was troubled. Just an observation...

Ok but williamson has failed in england when the ball has done plenty, like smith his big score came on a very flat lords deck.

Williamson also cashed in here recently on the two dead tracks and failed at adelaide when the ball did plenty.

Root failed badly in Australia for an entire tour facing quality bowlers using bounce well but smith who has been more consistent overseas than both of those 2 is forever now a flat track bully because of just 2 test matches facing the best swing bowlers in world cricket with the ball doing plenty?

 

[KiwiRoo]

Ok but williamson has failed in england when the ball has done plenty, like smith his big score came on a very flat lords deck.

Williamson also cashed in here recently on the two dead tracks and failed at adelaide when the ball did plenty.

Root failed badly in Australia for an entire tour facing quality bowlers using bounce well but smith who has been more consistent overseas than both of those 2 is forever now a flat track bully because of just 2 test matches facing the best swing bowlers in world cricket with the ball doing plenty?

Wasn't it pretty early in Roots career though ? Smith doesn't have to bat against the Australian attack too

They're all good players. I cant split them. They'll all have peaks and troughs.

 

[HBF]

Root > Williamson > Smith > Kohli

 

[frankrizzo]

Wasn't it pretty early in Roots career though ? Smith doesn't have to bat against the Australian attack too

If you look at my other posts i clearly don't agree with this sort of thinking just showing how easily it can be done to root and williamson and pretty much anybody, you know this a bloke has one or two tests where he struggles so his nearly 60 average and consistent overseas record is suddenly worth jackshit because he failed in a few cherry picked games.

I agree fully all 3 are playing great and i just can't pick a clear leader right now and maybe all 3 will keep this level up and a clear number 1 will never emerge, who knows but i guess thats why we watch in the first place.

 

[CD__]

Root > Williamson > Smith > Kohli

Root over Williamson and Smith? On what basis?

 

[to1994]

Best stats?
because he constantly plays on lifeless flat decks. When the ball moves he doesnt make runs .

I really don't think there's enough evidence to say he can't make runs when the ball moves. If New Zealand have any sense we'll see more evidence of this next month but using 2 test matches in England as data sounds like someone who's just got it in for Aussie batsman.