Australian spin legend Shane Warne picked his five top Test batters in contemporary cricket, and Virat Kohli doesn’t feature among top three.
Warne named compatriot Steve Smith at the top, followed by England’s Joe Root and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
He revealed his choices while commentating during the first Ashes Test at Gabba, where Australia thrashed England by 9 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes series.
“I have got Steve Smith (at the top). I think, over all conditions, against all bowlers, he has been brilliant,” Warne said in a video posted by Fox Cricket.
Warne’s top pick is justified as Smith boasts the Test average of 61.39 with 7552 runs. His second pick Root is having a great time as well, hitting six Test tons in this calendar year. Williamson, who is third on the list, led New Zealand to WTC triumph this year and also piled up runs on a consistent basis.
However, Kohli has dropped down a bit in Warne’s books. The Indian Test captain hasn’t scored a century in international cricket for more than two years now. Nonetheless, Warne feels Virat is still good enough to make a cut in the top-five and he placed him at the fourth position.
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne completed Shane Warne’s five top Test batters in today’s cricket. Just like his teammate Steve Smith, Labuschagne too averages over 60 in the longest format with 1959 runs from 19 Tests. He played an instrumental role in Australia’s retention of the Ashes in 2019 and continues to hold the key in the middle-order.
