McGrath weighs in on Sachin-Virat debate

Australia fast-bowling legend Glenn McGrath has weighed in on the Sachin Tendulkar versus Virat Kohli debate but has stopped short of speculating if the current India captain can match the feats of the Little Master.

With Kohli on track to potentially surpass Tendulkar’s feats in both Test and One-Day International cricket, the pair of Indian batting greats have been subject to endless comparison.

And McGrath, who admitted to enjoying his captivating duels with Tendulkar in Australia v India Tests, believes there are similarities between them despite their sometimes divergent approaches to batting.

“Virat (Kohli) and Sachin (Tendukar) are different personalities,” the 46-year-old said. “(But) there is no doubt that Sachin is one of the all-time greats.

“Virat is confident; he has got this attitude to batting. He does not back down.

“Sachin was positive and confident and went about his business.”

Tendulkar holds colossal records in the Test and ODI games over an extensive period of time, finishing with 100 international centuries in a career spanning over two decades.

And while Kohli is a long way off matching that kind of longevity, a look at their statistics at the same points in their careers suggests the 27-year-old could match his fellow right-hander if he continues at his current rate.

Quick Single: How does Kohli stack up against Tendulkar

After 45 Tests, Kohli has 3245 runs at 45.06 with 12 centuries to his name. Though Tendulkar had less hundreds (10) and less runs (3087) at the same stage of his career, his average of 50.60 is markedly better than Kohli’s after 45 Tests.

Of course, he went on to play 200 Tests, plundering over 15,000 runs and notching 51 tons in the longest format.

But it’s in the white-ball game in which Kohli looks most likely to match Tendulkar, holding an ODI average of 51.51, including 25 hundreds, in 171 matches to date.

At the same stage of his ODI career, Tendulkar had managed 12 ODI centuries and held an average of under 40, which bodes well for Kohli’s chances of outdoing him in 50-over cricket.

Although after that, the Little Master went on to make another 37 ODI tons, finishing with 49.

Image Id: ~/media/919BC60D2EE740768535E07CE35280B1 Image Caption: Tendulkar takes McGrath on in a 2000 ODI // Getty

Tendulkar’s career was in its twilight right as the Twenty20 era was beginning, as the solitary T20 International fixture to his name suggests.

It means Kohli, who recently retained his position as the No.1 ranked T20 batsman following India’s two matches against the West Indies in Florida and averages a remarkable 57.13 from 45 T20Is, will contend with a third format of the game for the duration of his international career that his predecessor wasn’t exposed to.

But McGrath believes the rise of the game’s newest format, far from adding another layer of complexity to the already herculean task of following in Tendulkar’s footsteps, has assisted Kohli’s rise.

“Virat brings a different level of attitude to the game which I like and I think that will hold him in good stead,” the ex-quick said.

“I think he will be around for a long time.

“Virat probably comes a bit harder at you, considering the (impact of the) T20 format.”

And McGrath suggests despite holding some initial skepticism towards the crash-and-bash of the shortest format, the likes of Kohli, Australia captain Steve Smith and some of the other leading batsmen in the world have demonstrated the best can adapt between game types.

“Test cricket is still the ultimate and young people should hold it in high regard,” McGrath said.

“I used to have concerns about T20 cricket and its impact on the game but I think it can have a positive impact by bringing new people into the game to watch it and to play.

“That might filter up to the Test level.

“You look at the guys like Virat, AB de Villiers, Steve Smith, Joe Root – they are quality Test players and are also up there with the best in T20.

“You still need to be a quality batsman to succeed at T20 level too.”