Smith, Root, Williamson, Kohli

[KiwiRoo]

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.

I think Nel makes a fair enough point. Smiths played a large trunk of his cricket on Aussie roads whereas Williamson and Root play their home cricket on tracks that move a bit more
I'd like to see him bat more on tracks that do a bit before I'd rate him higher than the other 2.
I still think he'd get runs though, his eye is that good

 

[to1994]

I think Nel makes a fair enough point. Smiths played a large trunk of his cricket on Aussie roads whereas Williamson and Root play their home cricket on tracks that move a bit more
I'd like to see him bat more on tracks that do a bit before I'd rate him higher than the other 2.
I still think he'd get runs though, his eye is that good

That's fine but it doesn't take into account that Williamson and Root grew up in those conditions it wasn't as if they were thrown into them during their test careers. As mentioned, Root struggled on our decks and has a much poorer record in Australia then Smith does in England.

That being said I actually rate Williamson slightly ahead of Smith in Tests at this stage I just feel some of the critism of Smith is harsh as he's only played a handful of Tests in seriously tough batting conditions and can't really defend the claims yet. If Smith can perform in NZ, Sri Lanka and our next tour of India (all in the next year or two) we can make a better assessment.

 

[Stopher]

Funnily enough, Kohli has 8 of his 11 Test centuries outside of India. The guy make take a bit longer to sort himself out at Test level, but he will be an absolute star in all formats by the time he's done. No doubt about it.

 

[Donnie Darko]

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?

My original comment stemmed from a poster who said Smith would compile the best career stats. I kind of agreed because AUS groundsmen have started preparing really dead wickets ,if the posters in this forum are to be believed.

Root did well in this last Wanderers test where the ball was really taking off from the surface thanks to the high altitude .
That Ashes tour was a big trainwreck and he didnt handle the aggressive verbals and tactics very well.

 

[Shane Sheridan]

maybe Watling ? very well thought of within NZ cricket

but big ask to keep and Captain

Guptill. after he's had his 7 or 8 balls in the middle plenty of time for him back in the shed to prepare bowling plans and field placements. Watling if good enough to keep his place as a bat only. Kiwis usually have 4 or 5 blokes in the team that are classed as keepers anyway

 

[Hellgood]

Williamson is the perfect candidate to take over the captaincy.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Guptill. after he's had his 7 or 8 balls in the middle plenty of time for him back in the shed to prepare bowling plans and field placements. Watling if good enough to keep his place as a bat only. Kiwis usually have 4 or 5 blokes in the team that are classed as keepers anyway

Guptill should just pretend he's playing limited overs cricket when he's in a test. He's scoring runs for fun in that form of cricket. I don't think anyone in world cricket hits the ball as far as he does either. Shame he doesn't translate it into test cricket, as he's got so much talent

Watlings had a lean trot recently.. before that he would have been able to justify his spot purely as a batsmen. His keeping is world class though so they wont want to lose that

 

[JackOutback]

Smith a clear number one for mine now, with Kholi not far behind, then Williamson and Root. Kholi possibly the better all-round cricketer, including ODIs and T20, but only marginally.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Kohli doesn't deserve to be in the conversation until he starts to deliver.

Smith: 41 tests, 75 innings, 3852 tuns, 60.18 average, 14 hundreds, 16 fifties
Root: 39 tests, 72 innings, 3406 runs, 54.93 average, 9 hundreds, 19 fifties
Kane: 48 tests, 89 innings, 4037 runs, 49.23 average, 13 hundreds, 19 fifties
Kohli: 41 tests, 72 innings, 2994 runs, 44.02 average, 11 hundreds, 12 fifties

More importantly:

Home:
Smith: 1750 runs @ 67.30
Root: 2002 runs @ 60.66
Kane: 1668 runs @ 57.58
Kohli: 1049 runs @ 46.04

Away/Neutral:
Smith: 2102 runs @ 55.31
Root: 1404 runs @ 48.41
Kane: 2369 runs @ 44.70
Kohli: 1935 runs @ 43.00


At the moment, it's clearly Smith.

 

[JackOutback]

But what's Kholi's record in the past two years, it seems like he has turned it on of late, in all forms.

Either way, it's gonna be great to watch all four over the next decade, probably will all be captains at one stage.

 

[DT_fanatic]

Kohli easily the best ODI/T20 batsman but hasn't found the same level of consistency in tests. Even when he gets a ton I don't think he's gone as much as he should.

 

[Sylvia Saint]

Smith's well on target to be better than Ponting. He can't stay this good forever (can he?) but it's scary to think he's 26 when Aussie batsmen don't generally come good, elite level players, until they hit their 30s.

 

[Mr Commissioner]

Joe Root for me. Best technique, picks up a lot of runs in seaming conditions.

Love how all 4 refuse to be tied down.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

But what's Kholi's record in the past two years, it seems like he has turned it on of late, in all forms.

Either way, it's gonna be great to watch all four over the next decade, probably will all be captains at one stage.

About 45-50, depending where you start.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=results;type=batting;view=reverse_cumulative

He hasn't really taken over in the same way that Smith, Williamson and Root have.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=results;type=batting;view=reverse_cumulative
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=results;type=batting;view=reverse_cumulative
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=results;type=batting;view=reverse_cumulative

I have no doubt that he'll join the conversation at some stage, but at the moment he doesn't belong (unless you're talking about ODI's or t20)

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Also, I think the current ICC rankings are spot on in terms of comparing these four:

1. Steve Smith
2. Joe Root
3. Kane Williamson
4. Hashim Amla
5. David Warner
6. Younis Khan
7. A.B. de Villiers
8. Angelo Matthews
9. Adam Voges
10. Misbah-ul-Haq
11. Ajinkya Rahane
12. Asad Shafiq
13. Virat Kohli
14. Alastair Cook
15. Ross Taylor
16. Murali Vijay
17. Cheteshwar Pujara
18. Sarfraz Ahmed
19. Dinesh Chandimal
20. Azhar Ali

Kohli still isn't in that elite bracket just yet. He's still in the Misbah, Ross Taylor, Rahane group.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

smith comfortably averaging 60 in test matches which is 6th all time

 

[Mateyman]

Smith averages 12 more at home than away. FLAT TRACK BULLY!!!

 

[Phyllis Stein]

Smith in tests and Kohli in limited overs at the moment.

Williamson and Root have such nice techniques to watch.

Kohli could well end up the GOAT in limited over cricket, the guy is a gun.

 

[CD__]

Root: 39 tests, 72 innings, 3406 runs, 54.93 average, 9 hundreds, 19 fifties

Surprisingly bad conversion rate.

 

[DaRick]

Smith is ATM probably the best out of the four but I don't expect him to have quite as much longevity. He relies a lot on his eye. Those types of players drop off significantly after their early 30's (Ponting), although Smith is admittedly more inventive than Ponting was.

 

[frankrizzo]

Smith averages 12 more at home than away. FLAT TRACK BULLY!!!

It is rather odd when you argue with the people who think like that, seems like for them somebody who averages say 70 at home and 50 away is a worse player than somebody who averages 45 at home and 45 away.

As head scratching as it may be for them smith would be rated a better player if next home summer he did a voges and just let it crash into the stumps without offering a shot every time he came into bat.

 

[frankrizzo]

Surprisingly bad conversion rate.

I wouldn't be surprised if that has improved a heck of a lot in the last couple of years, he seemed to really throw away a lot of starts early on in his career.

 

[wattoxi]

I wouldn't be surprised if that has improved a heck of a lot in the last couple of years, he seemed to really throw away a lot of starts early on in his career.

actually its the other way around, his first 3 years he made 5 100s and 7 50s, last 2 years he has made 4 100s and 12 50s.

 

[frankrizzo]

You sure about that? stats guru is telling me 7 of his 9 tons have actually been in the last 2 years.

 

[frankrizzo]

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...;spanval1=span;template=results;type=allround