"Virat Kohli has gone to the bottom of that list" - Aakash Chopra on the Fab 4's Test centuries
Aakash Chopra has noted that Virat Kohli has fallen behind the other three members of the 'Fab Four' in terms of number of Test centuries. He pointed out that Joe Root has been on a century-scoring spree over the last four years.
Kohli, Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson are termed the 'Fab Four' of the modern era. While Root has grown in stature in Tests over the last few years, the other three have fallen slightly behind.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener observed that Kohli has fallen from first to last on century count among the 'Fab Four'.
"We will have to talk about the Fab Four because Root is doing incredible things and Williamson is also not stopping. It's an interesting one that when 2021 started, Virat Kohli was at No. 1 with 27 centuries among the Fab Four. Steve Smith was at 26, just beside him. Kane Williamson was at 24, he was just behind. Joe Root was at 17," he said (9:30).
"From then until now, he (Root) has scored 19 more centuries. He has gone to 36. 19 centuries in less than four years. There are still matches remaining in 2024, and he has scored 19 centuries. Of course, there is no doubt that he plays a little more cricket, but 19 centuries. Virat Kohli has gone to the bottom of that list, with 30 centuries," Chopra added.
Kohli has aggregated 1845 runs at an average of 33.54 in 33 Tests since the beginning of 2021. On the flip side, Root has amassed 5063 runs at an average of 56.25 in 54 Tests in the same period.
"He has scored only three centuries in the last four years" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli
![Virat Kohli scored his 30th Test century in India's second innings of the Perth Test against Australia. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/8dd4a-17337251265221-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Virat Kohli has scored only three Test centuries in the last four years in contrast to Joe Root's 19 hundreds.
"He has scored only three centuries in the last four years, the third came recently in Perth. Steve Smith has still scored six centuries, he is at 32. Kane Williamson has jumped to the joint-second spot with 32 centuries after scoring eight hundreds. It's true that Joe Root is going differently. He is doing God-level batting at the moment. Who scores 19 centuries in a four-year tenure, but he has done that," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the 'Fab Four' century count has turned upside down in the last four years.
"Kane Williamson is still going strong. Steve Smith has fallen down. Six centuries is still not that bad, Virat Kohli has scored just three. So suddenly Virat Kohli, who used to be at the top in the Fab Four equation, with Steve Smith next to him, now the tables have turned completely," Chopra observed.
Chopra opined that Root is unlikely to be caught by Kohli, Smith, and Williamson on Test century count. He pointed out that by the time the others reach 36 centuries (if they do so), the former England captain would have reached 42.