Over the years, the comparisons between the best Indian batsman and best from the Australian camp have been a norm.
Whether it is Sunil Gavaskar vs Allan Border, Sachin Tendulkar vs Ricky Ponting, or now Virat Kohli or Steve Smith, the comparisons and debates have been perennial.
Both Kohli and Smith are the premier batsman for India and Australia, respectively. Also, the two have dominated the art of batting for a while now.
King Kohli is rated as the best in white-ball cricket, while Smith holds Bradmanesque numbers in red-ball cricket. Nonetheless, the two batters are amongst the best in all three formats of the game.
Now, former Australian vice-captain, David Warner, who has seen the two batting giants from close quarters, registered his views on the evergreen comparison.
“In comparison with him [Kohli] and Smith, they are obviously two of the best batters in the world across all three formats. It is going to be a great battle between them if that’s what people are anticipating,” Warner told India Today.
In recent times, the duels between Indian and Australian players have been intense. The Border-Gavaskar series later this year in December will mark the resumption of the age-old rivalry.
The last time around, Australia suffered a humiliating defeat from the Indian side at their own backyard. Further, the absence of both Smith and Warner, serving their ban period, was felt by the Kangaroos.
“For us, it’s about Australia vs India, we don’t look at individual battles. If it’s individual, it’s bowler vs batter. At the end of the day, we have to do our research well. We know our line and lengths to bowl in Australia. Use our conditions right. Hopefully, the contest is great between bat and ball and the great spirit of cricket battle as well,” concluded Warner.
The Gabba will host the first match of the four-match series in whites from December 3 onwards. Further, the iconic Adelaide ground will host the day-night Pink-Ball affair in the second Test.
The third match will be the traditional Boxing Day Test at the usual Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Furthermore, the fourth and the final Test match will be played at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), from January 12, 2021.
