Two of the greatest batsmen in the modern era, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, have been a hot topic of discussion for quite a while now. When top cricketers reach such monumental statures, they are bound to be compared with.
There has always been a comparison between Sachin and Lara, Warne and Murali, and so on. This generation is dedicated to the comparison between Smith and Kohli.
Australian opener David Warner joined the bandwagon having played cricket with two of them. According to Warner, Smith is the one who enjoys his batting while Virat tends to get on top of his opponents.
“Steve is going out there for a hit in the middle, that’s how he sees things. He’s hitting them out in the middle, he’s having fun, he’s enjoying himself, does not want to get out. Virat obviously doesn’t want to get out but he knows if he spends a certain amount of time out there he’s going to score plenty of runs at a rapid rate. He’s going to get on top of you. That allows the guys coming in, especially in the Indian team you’ve got a lot of players who can be flamboyant as well,” Warner told Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz.
The wicket of the two batsmen perennially remains pivotal for their respective team. Warner suggested that the team morale is entirely dependent on them scoring runs.
“They stabilise, they boost morale – if they score runs, everyone else’s morale is up. If they are out cheaply you almost sense that on the field that everyone is… (down on morale and thinking) now we all have to step up. It’s a very bizarre situation,” the southpaw added.
Further, Warner spoke highly of the Indian captain for getting into the contest and getting the best out of himself.
“I can’t speak for Virat, obviously, but it’s almost like we got this thing in us when we go (out to the middle) we need to prove people wrong, prove someone wrong. If you’re in that contest, and if I’m going at him for example, you’re thinking, ‘Alright, I’m going to score more runs than him, I’m going to take a quick single on him’. You are trying to better that person in that game. That’s where the passion comes from,” concluded Warner.
