Yesterday (November 26), Indian captain Virat Kohli scored his fifth double hundred in Test cricket. He has made it habit to score runs across all formats. For many he is the best batsman at the moment but an Australian legend has anointed another batsman as "the No. 1 in the world".
Thanks to Kohli's 213 at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium on Sunday, India were put on road to victory against Sri Lanka.
The Indian captain equalled Brian Lara for most double tons as captain. Also he equalled Rahul Dravid and surpassed Sunil Gavaskar after this 200 plus superb knock.
Today, India won by an innings and 239 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match rubber.
In Australia, at Brisbane's Gabba ground, Steve Smith registered his 21st Test century in the Ashes series opener against England. His ton came on Saturday (November 25). His 141 not out helped the hosts take a first innings lead and today (November 27) they completed a 10-wicket victory.
Smith broke Sachin Tendulkar's record to become the third fastest to 21 Test centuries. He completed the milestone in 105 innings.
Former Australian skipper and batting legend Ricky Ponting praised Smith for his ton and felt he could break his and the country's record of 41 Test centuries. After the victory in Brisbane, Ponting went on to declare that Smith is "the No.1 batsman in the world".
"We can't afford to rely on him (Smith) every game. He's the No.1 batsman in the world and for all the right reasons, but we need a more even contribution from all of our batsmen," Ponting told Cricket Australia's (CA) website on Monday.
Ponting was speaking about what Australia should do for the second Test in Adelaide (December 2), which will be a day-night contest.
When experts and fans debate, the opinions are divided as to who is the best batsman at the moment. For many Kohli is on top considering his form in all three formats of the game. But Ponting has backed Smith as number one in the longer format.
