Joe Root is a notch below the rest of Fab Four in Test cricket: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar believes Joe Root is a notch below Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson in the longest format of the game.

Joe Root has been in scintillating form in the three Tests he has played this year.

The England skipper followed up his 228 and 186-run knocks in Sri Lanka with another double-century in the first Test against India in Chennai.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar was asked if he currently considers Joe Root the best Test batsman in the world.

While acknowledging that the England batting mainstay is among the Fab Four, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the other three are slightly better than him.

"He is very very good. But I don't think he is the best batsman in the world. There are four contenders for that and he is amongst the four contenders. But I think he is just a notch below the other three," said Gavaskar.

Mark Butcher, on the other hand, pointed out that Joe Root is at the top of the pile at the moment because of the mountain of runs he has scored in the last few Tests.

"He is the best player playing right now because the others haven't got many Test cricket going at the moment. So the form he is in, there is no one better than him right now," said the former England batsman.

Joe Root has moved up two places to No.3 in the latest ICC Test rankings for batsmen.James Anderson has moved three places up to No.3 in the bowlers' list. Stuart Broad remains at No.2.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/oCH0bd57v0

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 10, 2021

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"Joe Root was so confident from the word go" - Sunil Gavaskar

Joe Root looked at ease while playing the spinners

While talking about Joe Root's knock in Chennai, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the confidence in his footwork had set him apart.

"What was most impressive about Joe Root's double ton was the fact that he was so confident from the word go and the positivity with which he moved either forward or he went back. He made sure when he was forward, he was smothering the turn and when he was back he was making sure that he had the room to play the cut shot or the pull shot," observed Gavaskar.

The former India captain also lauded Joe Root for his meticulous execution of the sweep shot.

"And then of course the use of the sweep shot against the spinners. That was very calculated, it wasn't just a random sweep shot. It was a very thoughtful sweep shot and that is the reason he has been so successful in the subcontinent in the last three Test matches," concluded Gavaskar.

Joe Root scored more than seventy percent of his runs square of the wicket during his double-century in the first innings at Chepauk.

He was quick to pounce on anything short and did not let the spinners settle to a length by employing various versions of the sweep shot.

Sweep shot and now a switch hit from Joe Root. He's loving out there in the middle, excellent knock. pic.twitter.com/GgvChncA9A

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 5, 2021