When India and Australia take the field for a four-match Test series starting later this week, all eyes will be on the two captains of the teams, not just because they will be expected to lead by example, but also because they just happen to be two of the best batsmen in the world at the moment.
India vs Australia Test series TV guide and schedule
Scoring runs, and big ones at that, has become second nature to these two batsmen, with Virat Kohli making a mockery of some of the records in world cricket, while Steve Smith, in his own inimitable style, has just kept notching century after century.
There is no doubt that these two batsmen will need to play a big part if their team are to be successful, particularly Smith. While Kohli has plenty of batting backup in these conditions, Smith will feel the run-scoring weight on his shoulders and how he responds to that pressure will be interesting to see.
Here is a look at the career records of the two batsmen in Test match cricket so far:
Virat Kohli: Matches played: 54. Innings: 92. Runs: 4451. Average: 51.75. Hundreds: 16. Fifties: 14. Highest score: 235.
Steve Smith: Matches played: 50. Innings: 92. Runs: 4752. Average: 60.15. Hundreds: 17. Fifties: 20. Highest: 215.
Going by just the stats, it is quite clear that Smith's is better. Those stats also show how underrated a batsman Smith is, even if most call him one of the best in the world. An average of 60.15, with 17 hundreds in 92 innings is an outstanding achievement.
Kohli, with the same number of innings, has scored 301 runs and four hundreds less.
But then, Kohli in Test match cricket from 18 months ago to Kohli in Test match cricket right now are two completely different batsmen. Now, when he gets in, he makes sure he gets to a big score.
Case in point being when Kohli became the first batsman in the history of Test cricket to score four double centuries in four consecutive series, despite one of those series being a one-off Test match. By scoring a double hundred against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, Kohli broke the record he had jointly held with two legendary batsmen – the peerless Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid.
Kohli has now, well and truly, become a world-class all-format player. While there was never any doubt about him being the best limited-overs batsman in the world, the India skipper has quickly transformed into one of the best in Test cricket as well.
When England toured India, the series was termed as a battle between Kohli and Joe Root, and that battle was won by Kohli, hands down. Yes, Root was consistent, but he managed just one hundred and his team ended up losing the five-match series 4-0.
Even the New Zealand series before that, when it was Kohli vs Kane Williamson, the India captain proved to be better.
So, the smart money will be on Kohli winning the run-scoring and match-winning battle with Smith as well, but then this combat could prove to be the most difficult and closest one yet.
Yes, Australia might have problems playing spin, but in Smith – who averaged 41.16 when Australia toured Sri Lanka in 2016 and 40.25 when Australia played in India four years ago – they have a batsman capable of scoring that big hundred.
At the end of it all, the India vs Australia contest might prove to be one-sided, especially if the series stays true to form, but the Kohli vs Smith battle is expected to be anything but.
