For nearly ten years, the world’s best four cricket players have controlled Test cricket, preventing any other batsman from penetrating the sphere. In ODIs, England’s Joe Root is the highest-ranked hitter; in Tests, however, Virat Kohli is the clear leader. Among the top four, he has played the most Tests (146) and scored the most runs (12390).
When examining the last 20 Test matches between the four mainstays—Root, Smith, Williamson, and Kohli—Williamson has performed as though he will never quit.
With an impressive average of 70.84, the former captain of New Zealand has amassed 2267 runs. Root, who has scored 1761 runs at an average of 58.70, comes next.
Due to his lacklustre performance in 2020 and 2021 (he did not make a century in Test matches), Kohli has finished last in the standings for the previous 20 games. The star batsman for India, who struggled during his slump, averaged just 27. On September 19, he will play his first Test match since January 2024 when they play Bangladesh in a two-match red-ball assignment.
The last 20 Tests of Fab 4. (TOI).
– Crazy numbers for Williamson and Root. pic.twitter.com/A1keCaCUl1
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 9, 2024
Speaking of Root, in the current Test series against Sri Lanka, the right-handed hitter has been absolutely brilliant. He overtook former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara in the Test international run total after scoring two hundred in the Lord’s Test. Right present, he is sixth among the game’s top scorers in the longest format.
Also Read: ‘Reminds me of Mitchell Johnson’ – Stuart Broad analyses Josh Hull’s performance in the Oval Test
Furthermore, the 33-year-old is only 3531 runs away from surpassing the mark set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (15921) for the most runs in Test cricket. With 201 catches in 18 less games than former India captain Rahul Dravid, the 146-year-old is closing close on beating Dravid’s record of 210) catches in Test cricket. He is aiming to break every record held by Indian cricketers.