Would rate Smith, Williamson and Root higher than me in Tests, says Virat Kohli

Every sporting generation brings to the fore a hotly debated rivalry between the supreme entities of the game. Fans demarcate themselves into groups, dividing opinion with the motive of placing one on a higher pedestal than the other.

Be it Sampras vs Agassi, Nicklaus vs Palmer or Lara vs Tendulkar, comparisons keep stemming from our tendency to pit one great against another. The public always wants to see one winner: there can’t be two gold medals.

For cricket fans, it has been a treat to witness as many as four gentlemen neck-to-neck with each other, breaking numerous records in the last few years. In Tests, India’s Virat Kohli is matched closely by Australia’s Steve Smith, England’s Joe Root and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.

Speaking to the media ahead of the fifth Test between India and England at the Chepauk stadium, Kohli said that the comparison between the top players is nice for debating, but as an individual, it takes its toll when the player is not performing well.

Kohli recently became the first player to average over 50 in each format, having taken his career average past the magical mark after his stunning 235 in the fourth Test at the Wankhede.

Along with Kohli, Williamson, Root and Smith have been placed in the same bracket of world class cricketers who have been earmarked for future greatness. Currently, Smith, Kohli, Root and Williamson occupy the first four positions respectively in the Test rankings, regularly shifting up and down in a closely fought contest that has been in place for the last couple of years.

For Kohli, however, the comparison is more for the fans to play with and discuss, although he believes the game in itself benefits from the competition. “I think it is more for the fans to put us in a group of young players coming up in world cricket. It is a healthy thing and great for the game, as well as a great topic for debate. It is great to know that you are part of a bunch of 4-5 players who are taking world cricket forward.”

However, Kohli categorically stated that the rankings take a toll on the individuals, with consistent comparisons being a “massive distraction”.

“As an individual, I don’t focus on those things. Honestly, it is a massive distraction. When you are doing good, you feel like looking at the rankings you wanna see what people are talking about and where I am in the race. But when you are not doing well, the same thing backfires and you feel addicted to it. I totally move away from it.”

In his bid to try and settle the debate, Kohli said that the rest of the lot are a touch above him, because of their performances in the last couple of seasons. “To me, all these players are world class and I always rate them above me, in Test cricket especially, because of the way they have performed in the last one or two seasons and I understand my limitations”.

“In limited overs, yes, I have been performing really well, but I never try to outdo them in the longer format. I understand what I need to do for my team. My aim has never been to go above Joe or Steve or Kane. There is equal respect amongst us, David (Warner) included. I really admire the way all these guys play, and the healthy competition should go on for a few years,” he went on.

As a final note, here are the current Test numbers* of the four:

PLAYER	MATCHES	RUNS	AVERAGE	50s	100s	HIGHEST
STEVE SMITH	47	4311	57.48	18	15	215
VIRAT KOHLI	52	4194	50.53	14	15	235
JOE ROOT	52	4500	52.94	26	11	254
KANE WILLIAMSON	56	4648	49.44	24	14	242*

• *Updated till the India-England fourth Test.