Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket

[Fuller Pilch]

Being the third best player of an entire generation of batters takes some doing. Good on him.

Fourth

 

[Ali TT]

Being the third best player of an entire generation of batters takes some doing. Good on him.

Arguably the best to watch of the 4 (if including Williamson), although I'd probably still take Root

 

[Coronis]

Arguably the best to watch of the 4 (if including Williamson), although I'd probably still take Root

I like watching Smith tbh. Never a dull moment.

 

[Burgey]

I like watching Smith tbh. Never a dull moment.

And typically more of them.

certainly if you’re looking for exemplars of technical orthodoxy, each of Root, Williamson and Kohli have it over Smudge.

Kohli is one of the players I’ve evolved into really liking over time. Used to not like the attitude, but then realised he walked his talk. Came to love his bravado and audacity because he brought his team with him in terms of approach and standards.

There had been others from India before him who tried to get up in the grill of opposing teams - think Sreesanth, early Zaheer Khan etc, but it always seemed to me like they were trying it on, and as soon as it was given back to them they fell apart. He didn’t.

Got to the point on his last tour here where I was wanting him to do well. That certainly won’t be the case with Root next summer, who I will be death riding as usual.

 

[MasterBlaster24]

 

[Coronis]

And typically more of them.

certainly if you’re looking for exemplars of technical orthodoxy, each of Root, Williamson and Kohli have it over Smudge.

Kohli is one of the players I’ve evolved into really liking over time. Used to not like the attitude, but then realised he walked his talk. Came to love his bravado and audacity because he brought his team with him in terms of approach and standards.

There had been others from India before him who tried to get up in the grill of opposing teams - think Sreesanth, early Zaheer Khan etc, but it always seemed to me like they were trying it on, and as soon as it was given back to them they fell apart. He didn’t.

Got to the point on his last tour here where I was wanting him to do well. That certainly won’t be the case with Root next summer, who I will be death riding as usual.

I’ll be honest, that’s not always what I’m looking for. Generally its far more entertaining imo to watch people succeed with non traditional methods/techniques.

 

[Gob]

I'd rather watch a paint dry than sitting through a Williamson innings tbh

 

[the big bambino]

finally **** off

Kind of appropriate as it encapsulates his attitude towards opponents and fans. A great player and the best Indian batsman to watch apart from VVS. I never minded his abrasive conduct but when he barged into Konstas it kind of indicated he'd become grumpy and old and time to step down.

 

[Prince EWS]

Where does he end up in the rankings?

Last.

 

[Prince EWS]

Fourth

@ashley bach I'm pretty sure Fuller Pilch just told Kohli to take FOUR.

 

[Xix2565]

Our greatest Test captain, and an incredible Test batter goes. Wish him all the best, and it's going to be sad to watch Tests now without him there in the fray.

I'm English and I'm not having that, god knows what the Aussies will say.

He's not wrong tbh. Ponting looks better because he got to decline and retire when anyone could pick up a bat and make runs on roads.

 

[Coronis]

Our greatest Test captain, and an incredible Test batter goes. Wish him all the best, and it's going to be sad to watch Tests now without him there in the fray.


He's not wrong tbh. Ponting looks better because he got to decline and retire when anyone could pick up a bat and make runs on roads.

Ah yes, that makes them equal.

 

[Xix2565]

Ah yes, that makes them equal.

I'd say they're close enough to be compared, especially how the batting prowess peaked and faded over their careers.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Every generation in India takes it less seriously ( in comparison to the other formats).

This is the case everywhere

 

[Shri]

Ponting started out on tough conditions and then had his peak continue on roads. Kohli started out on roads, and had his peak on some of the most bowler friendly pitches cricket has ever seen in tests before declining post Covid break

 

[Johan]

think Ponting was clearly better than Virat, he started out strong and even near the end could play some good knocks but the gap is not that big imho.

 

[Johan]

Think it's no coincidence that Ponting's peak started right after/during the 2001-2 Australia season where the pitches ridiculously flattened out.

 

[Gob]

More like when he was promoted to bat at 3

 

[TheJediBrah]

He's not wrong tbh. Ponting looks better because he got to decline and retire when anyone could pick up a bat and make runs on roads.

This is a big stretch. Would make more sense to say the opposite (@Prince EWS ), ie Ponting played on until he was 38 IIRC and would look better in comparison if he retired 2 years younger like Kohli

 

[ataraxia]

Yeah Kohli's definitely going to get rated higher now than if he waited until the BCCI dropped him and that sucks.