Virat receives words of praise from Steve Waugh after becoming No. 1 Test Batsman

What's the story?

India's best batsman among the current players, and the squad's captain across formats - Virat Kohli, has recently pipped Steven Smith in the ICC Test Batsmen's rankings to become No. 1, and has duly received praise from none other than former Australian captain Steve Waugh. In an interview given to cricket.com.au, Waugh spoke on Virat's qualities as a player, and on what makes him different.

In case you didn't know...

Prior to the first England-India Test that concluded last week at Edgbaston, Birmingham, Virat Kohli needed 121 runs to eclipse Australian counterpart Steven Smith in the ICC International Test Batting charts.

Despite India ended up losing the game, Virat was like the moon on a cloudy night, as his performance outshone that of every other Indian's, and even those of the England players'. In the first innings, he played fearlessly to score a 149 that saved India from facing a humiliating lead, and in the second, he scored another fighting 51 runs that helped India hope for a win, as long as he was present in the crease. Altogether, he scored 200 runs in the game, which meant he more than just overshadowed Smith, thereby ending up with the new No.1 ranking in Test batting.

Smith, who won't be playing International cricket for another nine months due to the 12-month ban he faced on April for ball-tampering, has 929 ranking points, while Virat has 934, and nine months of International cricket when he can stretch the lead even further. Third on the list is Joe Root at 865 points. Previously, Smith has been holding the monopoly over the No.1 Test batting rank for a continuous stretch of over two years.

The details

Steve Waugh had famously quipped, in a recent interview, that Virat Kohli "has the best technique in International Cricket", regarding him as the best player with the willow in current times.

“He (Virat) has got the game to survive anywhere,” the Aussie legend said. In a previous interview, he had mentioned how his and South Africa's AB de Villiers were on par with each other in terms of batting. But now that the Protean has signed off from International cricket, Virat seems to enjoy a lone place at the peak.

Upon asked what seems to make the Indian star so special, he said, “He likes the big occasion, like Lara and Tendulkar and (Viv) Richards, and all the great batsmen - they want the big occasion and that brings out the best in their cricket." He also added that it may be another feather in the cap for Virat if he is able to record a series win as India tour down under, starting this November. The side is slated to pit against the hosts in 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs in the series.

What's next

As the latest news come from the venue itself, the toss has been delayed due to a slight drizzle, and it may be later than the stipulated 11am local time, when the game will actually begin. England currently leads the series 1-0 after the win at Edgbaston.