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Updated August 6th, 2018 at 09:31 IST

Former England cricketer terms Joe Root as "thoughtful", but concedes he isn't as good as Indian skipper Virat Kohli

Kohli scored 200 runs in the first Test, which included a brilliant 149 in the first innings, whereas Root only managed 94 runs

Reported by: Narayan R
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When Sachin Tendulkar was playing cricket during his days, there was hardly any debate regarding who was the best batter then. The Master Blaster was outright No.1, with the other batsmen fighting it out for the No.2 spot.

And it seems, Tendulkar's legacy is being carry forwarded by Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper has an average of over 50 in all the three formats of the game, which has prompted many around the world to concede that he is the best batsman in the current generation.

There is obvious competition from the likes of Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steven Smith, but the 29-year-old is a class apart. Former England cricketer and skipper, Mike Brearley also believes the same.

He has heaped praise on present England skipper Root, terming him as a "thoughtful" cricketer. Though, Brearley also believes that Kohli is a better batsman than me, much due to his ability to convert his fifties in hundreds. The former England skipper also praised Kohli for his style of captaincy, stating he has his own style which is different and very good for Test cricket.

READ: Former Australian Captain Ian Chappell Urges Hardik Pandya To Learn From England's Ben Stokes

Kohli scored 200 runs in the first Test, which included a brilliant 149 in the first innings. His efforts with the bat propelled him to the top of ICC's rankings. The Indian skipper has overtaken former Australian skipper Steven Smith to become the No.1 batsman in the Test format.

Following his sensational display, the 29-year-old earned 31 points, which means he now has a rating of 934, in comparison to the 929 of Smith, who hasn't featured in any format since March, and will not be available for selection until March 2019 following a one-year ban on him for the 'ball tampering' saga.

The Indian skipper becomes the first Indian to reach the summit since Sachin Tendulkar, who was the No.1 batsman in Test in 2011. He also becomes only the seventh Indian to achieve this feat, after Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar.

READ: England Announce Squad For The Second Test Against India; Ben Stokes Left Out

The 29-year-old is 69 points ahead of his closest active competitor, who is Root. The England skipper made 94 runs in the match, though, saw his side beat India in a thrilling encounter to take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.

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Published August 6th, 2018 at 09:31 IST

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