Who is better between Tendulkar and Kohli, the greatest batter of his generation versus the best of today's era? Only time will tell, but the debate rages on nevertheless.
Aside from records and numbers, both played in different eras of Indian cricket, making the comparison all the more difficult. Kohli, on the other hand, is the only current Indian player who can come close to, if not surpass, Tendulkar's numerous batting records.
Kohli is six ODI centuries short of tying Tendulkar's 49-ton tally, and at 33, he'd like to get to the 50th and surpass the master blaster.
Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad, however, has backed Kohli to equal one big record of Tendulkar that is seemingly unbeatable – the impressive feat of playing 200 Tests
"It is a great achievement to play 100 Test matches and still keep going the way he has. The big difference is the experience he has gained by playing in 100 Test matches. As long as he is fit, nobody can touch him.
He is so conscious of his fitness that I won't be surprised if he goes to 200 because of the kind of series of matches they are playing, the frequency is so high that it is a question of another seven or eight years, and he will land up close to 200. Am sure he will be fit and play for the next 10 years, the way he is going," Gaekwad told News18.
When Tendulkar was at the height of his batting prowess, Gaekwad was the Indian cricket team's coach. Tendulkar scored 2541 runs from 42 innings in 1998, with a combined Test and ODI average of 68.67 and a strike rate of 93.69, with 12 hundred and eight fifties.
While Kohli had a fantastic year in 2016, scoring 2595 runs in 41 innings, he hasn't been able to replicate his run-making abilities off late.
"It is going to be a big advantage for Indian cricket. Kohli is not only performing and leading from the front but also the amount of experience he has gained as a player, as a captain, is a big thing. He has shown the world that there is no going back. He doesn't want to accept defeat. His thoughts have been very positive, he never gives up until the end," added Gaekwad.
"His attitude, his personality, his actions on the field show that he is not a guy who is going to give up, and he is one to fight it out till the end. That is what he has shown the world. The boys have been in and out, new boys have come in, and he has performed and has shown the world that everything is possible, not only in India but also outside."
