Virat Kohli was mercilessly ignored and insulted as after Steve Smith’s 10,000th Test run, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting rekindled a long-running argument regarding the best Test hitter of this generation.
Ricky Ponting named Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson as the best contenders, leaving Virat Kohli out of the debate.
Steve Smith hit a single off Prabath Jayasuriya in the first Test against Sri Lanka on January 29 in Galle, taking his total to 10,000. He became the fourth Australian to accomplish this record, after Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh. Smith went on to score his 35th Test century that same day.
Until 2020, Virat Kohli leads the Fab Four in Test hundreds with 27, ahead of Steve Smith (26), Kane Williamson (21), and Joe Root (17). However, the former Indian captain’s form has plummeted in recent years, with only three centuries in the last four years.
The former England captain went on to score centuries in the classic style, adding 19 tons during this time. Root now has 36 centuries to his name, surpassing Smith (35) and Williamson (33).
Hard to argue: Ricky Ponting calls Steve Smith as best batter of the current generation
Ricky Ponting stated that Steve Smith is the best batter of his generation, although Joe Root is a serious contender. He added that Root’s recent success has propelled him back into the conversation.
“Is he the best player of his generation? It’s hard to argue against it. Joe Root is the other one now, and [Kane] Williamson’s record is outstanding as well. Joe’s last couple of years have elevated him right back up there, I think,” Ponting was quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.
Smith topped Sunil Gavaskar on the all-time run-scorers record with a 147-run knock. He added 266 runs for the second wicket with Usman Khawaja, who made 232 runs. Debutant Josh Inglis also made 102 runs as Australia declared their first innings on 654/6.
Joe Root was behind in the Fab Four a few years ago: Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting claimed that Joe Root was behind in the Fab Four a few years back. However, he emphasized Root’s resurgence, citing 19 centuries in the last four years. Ponting stated that opinions on the finest batter differ by nationality, but that Smith’s accomplishments are impossible to deny.
“Five or six years ago, when this big four emerged, with [Virat] Kohli being one of those as well, Joe was probably down near the bottom part of that because he hadn’t made the hundreds the other guys had made, but he’s made 19 hundreds in the past four years.
If you asked an Englishman they’d say Joe Root, if you asked an Aussie they’d say Steve Smith, and if you asked a Kiwi they’d say Kane Williamson. So, it’s a tough one, but on the numbers themselves it’s pretty hard to argue against what he’s done,” said Ponting.
Steve Smith is the fourth Australian to score 10,000 runs in Tests after Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting.