Michael Holding picks Virat Kohli as the best Test batsman among the 'Fab 5'; Smith second
West Indies' legendary cricketer Michael Holding placed Virat Kohli at the number one position when asked to list the top five Test batsmen of the world.
During his appearance on the Stars With Ahsan show, the host asked Holding to list Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root in the order of their performances in Test cricket.
The Caribbean legend placed the Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli at the number one position. Former Australian skipper Steve Smith earned the second spot in Holding's list, with the Kiwi captain Kane Williamson at number three. England's Test captain Joe Root and Pakistan's rising star Babar Azam occupied the fourth and fifth spots.
Virat Kohli's rise in the world of Test cricket
Michael Holding was certainly not wrong in placing Virat Kohli at the 'numero uno' spot of his list, because the Indian cricket team skipper has scored 7,240 runs in 86 Test matches.
Virat Kohli made his Test debut in 2011,and a few years later, he became the captain of the Indian Test team. The right-handed batsman has one of the best century conversion rates in Test cricket, as he has 27 hundreds and 22 fifties to his name. He has also scored seven double centuries for India.
On the other hand, Steve Smith has 7,227 runs to his name in 73 games. His average of 62.84 is much better than Virat Kohli's, but the Indian skipper has a better century and double century conversation rate than his Aussie rival.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has featured in 80 Tests, scoring 6,476 runs at an average of 50.99, whereas Joe Root has scored 7,729 runs in 94 Tests. The Yorkshireman's average is 48.31, and he has registered 17 centuries and 49 fifties.
Babar Azam is also known for his sound batting technique. However, he has played much fewer Test matches than Virat Kohli, Smith, Williamson, and Root.