Virat Kohli is probably the best all-format batter to ever grace the sport. One can make a case for him as the greatest ODI batter, especially after he took over Sachin Tendulkar’s centuries tally. He’s about there in T20Is too. Kohli has the most half-centuries, second most runs, and two ‘Player of the Tournament’ awards in T20 World Cups in the shortest format of the game. But he isn’t even close to that conversation in Test cricket.
He might be India’s best Test batter since 2013, but he certainly isn’t even close to the best in his generation. 1/4 of the Fab 4, Kohli wasn’t far off being the best in Tests for a few years. However, Steve Smith, his counterpart from Australia, for the most part, was better. During his peak years (2014-19), the Indian great conquered it all. Who better remained a contentious topic. Some chose Kohli as the best, while others picked Smith.
But why am I rambling about Kohli? Why the talks about him and Fab 4 now? The first thought that first comes to mind is Joe Root. The former English skipper scored a record-tying 33rd Test hundred at Lord’s two days ago and surpassed his biggest rivals. But, no, that’s not it.
The late and great Martin Crowe coined the term ‘Fab 4’ exactly 10 years ago. On August 29, 2014 he wrote about the four best Test batters in the world at that moment and shared why he felt they were going to occupy the No. 1 spot in red-ball cricket in the coming year. And that’s exactly the reason why I’m writing this.
Fab 4’s overall Test record
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s & 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 264 | 12274 | 50.71 | 64 & 33 |
| Steve Smith | 195 | 9685 | 56.97 | 41 & 32 |
| Virat Kohli | 191 | 8848 | 49.15 | 30 & 29 |
| Kane Williamson | 176 | 8743 | 54.98 | 34 & 32 |
Prowess away from home
Right now, Virat Kohli’s the only member of the Fab 4 who averages under 50. But overall averages don’t really show the real picture. Williamson, despite averaging higher than Kohli and Root, isn’t a better batter. This opinion isn’t just backed by the ex-cricketer but by their records as well.
To show who’s the best, the metric that everyone brings in is the record in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). However, this metric works best for Asian batters. To level the playing field, we’ve changed the metric for each player.
Joe Root: SINA (South Africa, India, New Zealand, Australia)
Steve Smith: SINE (South Africa, India, New Zealand, England)
Kane Williamson: SIAE (South Africa, India, Australia, England)
This clearly shows that Smith is miles ahead of his contemporaries. The former Australian skipper has the most runs, hundreds, and the highest averages. This also shows how, despite being compared to Kohli, Root and Smith, the Kiwi isn’t exactly in their league. In the toughest of conditions and against the best opposition, Williamson doesn’t rise up to the occasion like all the others do. Since the headline is Kohli-specific, let’s talk about him.
Not much separates Kohli and Root here. The Indian has five more centuries, but the Englishmen has him covered with 11 more half-centuries. Not converting his fifties into hundreds was something that Root got flak for, and this shows how many more tons he could have ended with if he’d converted these good starts into big ones. Kohli averages 19 more than Root in Australia and Root has Kohli covered in New Zealand (52 to 36). They are even in South Africa. Going by this metric, Root and Kohli are tied for the second spot.
Late career decline
Many pick Brian Lara over Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest Test batter since Don Bradman. 1 run difference in average separates them. But Tendulkar played 69 more matches than him. Longevity. That is what makes The Little Master the best. To be the best for a month or year may be easy, but to do it for a decade—that’s the challenge.
Smith and Williamson made their debuts in 2010, Kohli in 2011 and Root in 2012. For the next decade, they were in their prime. At the end of 2019, they were aged 31 (Kohli), 30 (Smith) and 29 (Root and Williamson). They were closer to the end of their best period. At this point, Kohli averaged 54.8 after 141 innings. Smith was the only one who was better than him (62.8); in fact, Root had an average of under 50 (48.4).
Fab 4’s record from 2020
From January 1, 2020 to August 29, 2025: the picture has completely changed. Barring Root (48 to 51), everyone has dipped. Smith’s average has plummeted from nearly 63 to 57, and Kohli’s gone from 55 to 49. Williamson may have a 67.4 average, but most of his runs have come at home. 21 of his 38 innings have come against India, England and Australia. In these, he averages 28.4 with 3 fifties and 1 hundred. Why am I excluding South Africa? Because, they sent an F side to New Zealand and named someone their captain who hadn’t made his debut yet.
Kohli’s biggest issue during this period has been his decline against spin. From 2020 until the end of 2023, India produced spin-friendly pitches. This meant that Kohli didn’t find it easy to find his mojo during his slump (1021 days without a hundred). He could defend but on big turners, you need to put the pressure back on the bowler which Kohli failed to do as his attacking armory seemed to have evaded him with increasing age. Most Indian batters suffered but none like Kohli. His career average against spin is 57 but since 2020, it has been 32.
