We asked Google AI who is the better batter between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith; Kohli fans might not completely agree with the answer
Seasoned Australian batter Steve Smith will be playing in his 100th Test when the Aussies take on England in the third Ashes 2023 contest at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday. The 34-year-old will be the 15th Australian to reach the landmark and the 75th player overall.
Starting his career as a leg-spinner, Smith has gone on to establish himself as the lynchpin of the Australian batting order, especially in the red-ball format. He has played some exceptional knocks under pressure to lift the team to famous wins. The Aussie batter’s hunger for batting and quest for excellence has been evident throughout his career.
Smith will be going into his 100th Test high on confidence, having walked away with the Player of the Match award for his impressive performances in the second match of Ashes 2023 at Lord’s. The right-handed batter scored 110 in the first innings and followed it up with a handy 34 in the second as Australia won by 43 runs.
The Aussie batter is often compared to Indian star Virat Kohli, who played his 100th Test match last year. With all the hype around Smith’s landmark Test, we asked Google AI [Bard] the big question - who is the better overall batter between Smith and Kohli? It gave us a smart reply.
“Steve Smith and Virat Kohli are two of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, and it is difficult to say definitively who is the better batsman. Both players have incredible records in all formats of the game, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.”
Virat Kohli meeting Sir Gary Sobers.
A wonderful video! https://t.co/6OP1OhCKZd
The AI went on to compare the record-ball records of the two batters and concluded that:
“In Test cricket, Smith is the clear leader.”
On Kohli, it added:
“Kohli is also a very good Test batsman, but he is not as consistent as Smith.”
For the record, Aussie run-machine Smith has 9113 runs to his name from 99 Tests at an average of 59.56, with 32 hundreds and 37 fifties. As for Kohli, he has scored 8479 runs in 109 Tests at an average of 48.72, with 28 hundreds and as many fifties.
Kohli or Smith? Who is the better limited-overs batter according to Google AI
Bard also analyzed the limited-overs figures of Smith and Kohli and picked the Indian batter as the better choice between the two.
According to the AI:
“In limited-overs cricket, Kohli is the better batsman. Smith is not as good in limited-overs cricket.”
Kohli has amassed 12898 runs from 274 ODIs at an average of 57.32 and 4008 runs from 115 T20Is, averaging 52.73 with a strike rate of 137.96.
Looking at Smith’s numbers, he has 4939 runs from 142 ODIs at an average of 44.49. In T20Is, he has scored 1008 runs, averaging 25.20 at a strike rate of 125.21.
Concluding its thoughts on the Smith vs Kohli debate, the AI opined:
“Overall, it is difficult to say definitively who is the better batsman. Smith is the better Test batsman, while Kohli is the better limited-overs batsman. It really depends on what format you are looking at. As you can see, the two players are very evenly matched. It really comes down to personal preference as to who you think is the better batsman.”
100 seconds of Steve Smith gold, ahead of his 100th Test for Australia tonight! #Ashes https://t.co/y1JbDt3k8t
Smith is part of the ongoing Ashes in England. Kohli too will be seen in action when India face West Indies in the two-match Test series, starting July 12.