Virat Kohli vs Ricky Ponting - comparing their stats after 123 Tests
The recent India-Australia Test series down under saw the cricket universe either flocking to the stadiums or being glued to their TV screen. While the series ended with a 3-1 Aussie win, almost all five Tests had several moments where the game hung in the balance.
It was another example of why the India-Australia rivalry, especially in Tests, has been the most pulsating since the turn of the 21st century. Among several others, two batters, who have played a massive role in making India-Australia Tests thrilling, are Virat Kohli and Ricky Ponting.
Ponting was among the most feared Test batters in the 2000s, often standing between India and victory. Meanwhile, Kohli has been a thorn in the Australian side in red-ball cricket over the past decade and a half.
While the former Australian captain is the second leading run-scorer in Test history with 13,378 runs, Kohli is 19th with 9,230 runs and still going. Interestingly, Ponting's final clash with India in 2012 was Kohli's first against Australia in Tests.
Hence, with Kohli 123 Tests old at this stage of his career, an interesting exercise would be to look at where Ponting stood at the same point in his Test career and compare the key numbers of the legendary duo after 123 Tests.
Counting numbers
Let us start with the basic counting numbers like total runs, half-centuries, and centuries for Virat Kohli and Ricky Ponting after 123 Tests and see who stacks up better. Considering Ponting predominantly batted at No.3 and Kohli at No.4, the comparisons can be straightforward, thanks to differences in batting positions being negligible.
It is crystal clear that the former Australian captain beats his Indian counterpart in all three categories. While Kohli is still on his journey towards the historic 10,000 run mark, Ponting was already well past the landmark after 123 Tests.
The Aussie great also amassed 36 centuries at an incredible average of a century every 3.5 Tests. Kohli's 30 tons in his first 123 Tests is sensational in its own right but pales in comparison to Ponting's mark.
Impact numbers
While counting numbers convey a part of a batter's story, the clincher becomes the impact numbers like overall batting average, average, and centuries in team wins. Often, batters can score big and consistently without the team benefiting from it.
Yet, in the case of Ponting and Kohli, the below table highlights how Australia and India have fed off runs from the duo.
As impressive as Kohli's impact numbers are with an overall average of 46.85 and an even higher 51.58 average in wins, Ponting once again holds the edge The champion Australian was at the prime of his career at the 123-Test mark with an overall average of 57.58.
His average in Aussie wins after 123 Tests was a stunning 63.75, with an incredible 27 centuries coming in victories.
Conditions and opposition-based numbers
It is time to get into the specifics between Ponting and Kohli to see if the latter can make some ground on the Australian stalwart. Here, we break down the duo's home and away numbers after 123 Tests, followed by how they fared in some of the toughest touring countries.
For this exercise, their performances in India/Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England, and the West Indies will be considered. Pakistan will be excluded since Ponting has played only the lone Test there, while Kohli has never played in Pakistan.
Along expected lines, both batters have dominated on home soil with averages of 62.67 and 55.58. Yet, Ponting's higher average, along with a 19-14 edge in centuries makes him the winner on home conditions after 123 Tests.
The gap widens when we look at away numbers, with Ponting's average of 52.02 considerably higher than Kohli's 41.12. While the difference in centuries is as close as it gets, Ponting still wins by a 17-16 margin.
Kohli finally upstages Ponting when it comes to away India-Australia Tests after 123 matches for each. While the former Indian captain averages almost 47 in Australia, Ponting averaged a dismal 20.85 at the same stage of his illustrious career.
However, it is Ponting all the way across the other challenging away conditions over Kohli as demonstrated in the above table.
Batting numbers during captaincy
It is widely acknowledged by most that Ponting and Kohli are Australia and India's greatest Test captains. While Ponting is fourth all-time in overall Test wins as captain, Kohli is right behind him at sixth.
Yet, it would be interesting to see how the duo fared with the bat while captaining their respective sides through 123 Tests. Much like the other categories, even Kohli's impressive numbers aren't enough to trump Ponting.
While Kohli averaged a remarkable 54.80 in 68 Tests as captain, Ponting averaged 59.78 in 48 Tests as skipper through his first 123 red-ball outings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both Ponting and Kohli boast outstanding numbers across most categories through 123 Tests of their respective careers. Yet, the Australian legend almost unanimously upstages the champion Indian batter in most of the key overall and impact numbers.
Winner: Ricky Ponting