From fans to the pundits of the game, cricket has always seen people drawing comparisons between players in order to assess who is the best cricketer. Batsmen, bowlers, fielders or all-rounders, every cricketer has to go through the verdicts made by their admirers or critics.
From the battle between Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to the comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, the legends of the captivating game had gone through numerous assessments.
The similar pattern continues in modern-day cricket as well, and two players who are always on the radar are Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. The pair have been compared with each other several times. Some state Kohli as the genius batsman, while some believe Smith is the top of the line batter.
Latest to drop thoughts on the trending topic is Australia’s new batting sensation Marnus Labuschagne. Recently, he was asked to pick a better Test player between Kohli and Smith. The South African-born Australian international cricketer went with his teammate Smith and termed him as number one Test player.
“I think Steve (Smith) in Test cricket has just shown in any condition; he can find a way. I think that’s what you know really makes him the best, number one Test player in the world,” said Labuschagne while speaking to India Today.
“He (Smith) has found a way in India, he has found a way to score in England, he is obviously very consistent in Australia, so it seems that it doesn’t matter where are you playing and in what conditions, he is finding a way. Now, Virat has probably done a similar thing. I will probably go with Steve in Test cricket,” he added.
However, when it comes to white-ball cricket, Labuschagne hailed the Indian skipper as a phenomenal player. The 26-year-old cricketer said he has learned a lot from Kohli.
“Virat’s white-ball cricket is phenomenal. The way he finishes innings, the way he finishes matches off, the way he chases. I think for me personally, I have learned a lot from him,” concluded Labuschagne.
