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Team India spinner R Ashwin ended the Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli debate with a no-nonsense take. Ashwin said Babar’s name should not be taken in the same line as Kohli, insisting the Pakistan batter has a lot more to achieve to be compared to the India star.
R Ashwin ended the Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate with a no-nonsense take. (Photo: Getty Images)
New Delhi: Team India spinner R Ashwin came up with a no-nonsense take on the comparisons drawn between Pakistan batter Babar Azam and India star Virat Kohli. Ashwin said fans across the border should put an end to the debate as Babar cannot be put in the same bracket as Kohli yet and has a long way to go before he can be compared with the India great.
The Babar vs Kohli debate was reignited in Pakistan after Fakhar Zaman put out a tweet in support of the former Pakistan captain while questioning the selectors over their decision to drop the batter from the Test squad. Babar was dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the final two Test matches against England amid his lean patch in the longest format.
The big decision from the selectors came after Pakistan suffered a dismal defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test against England in Multan. Pakistan became the first team to lose a Test match by an innings despite posting a first-innings total of more than 500 runs. Babar, who endured another poor outing in the game, was dropped after his team’s shattering loss.
In his tweet questioning the Pakistan selectors over their decision to drop Babar, Fakhar compared the batter’s poor form to that of Kohli in the past and said the selectors should back him like India backed Kohli. Reacting to the comparison between Babar and Kohli, Ashwin bluntly said the two should not be mentioned in the same line.
“Definitely, if he is given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, I believe we should end this debate once and for all. First of all, across the border, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli shouldn’t be mentioned in the same statement,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin insisted Babar is an outstanding batter and said he rates him highly, however, the Indian spinner insisted Kohli is far ahead of the Pakistan batter. Ashwin pointed out how Kohli has performed in all sorts of conditions and against the best bowling attacks in the world while winning matches for India from improbable situations. The spinner said Joe Root in Tests is the only one who comes close to matching Kohli.
“I am really sorry, I rate Babar Azam. He is an outstanding player, but Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else. Across terrains, across times, across pressure situations, the kind of heists he has done, no one has come close to doing so in the world of cricket. As far as I know, at this point, if anyone comes close, it is Joe Root in Test cricket,” Ashwin added.
Finally ash na called out Kohli – Babar comparison. No one elevated Kohli and Rohit better than Ash na ! @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/vWdGTyeQK3
— Sriramk6 (@06ramK) October 15, 2024
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam in Tests
Like Babar, Kohli too endured a lean patch in his Test career in 2020 to 2023. However, the India star was still among the runs for his team and was consistently getting starts while also notching up half-centuries. Kohli has so far amassed 8,947 runs in 115 Tests in his career at an average of 48.89, including 29 centuries and 30 fifties.
The India star has proved his credentials in SENA countries with 11 Test tons and is only behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in the list of Indian batters with the most Test centuries in SENA nations. Babar, on the other hand, has so far notched up 3997 runs in 55 matches in his Test career at an average of 43.92, including 9 centuries and 26 fifties.
Babar has only a solitary ton to his name in SENA countries and is yet to prove his credentials against the best of teams in the most testing conditions.
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