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Former England captain Michael Vaughan stirred the cricketing world with a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), where he compared the Test career statistics of Virat Kohli and Joe Root. This social media commentary came a day after Root scored an impressive 143 runs off 206 balls against Sri Lanka in the second Test of their ongoing series.
Root’s latest innings not only helped him surpass Kane Williamson and Steve Smith—each with 32 Test centuries—but also saw him match former England captain Alastair Cook for the most centuries by an English player in Test cricket. With 33 centuries, Root has now set a new record among the Fab 4, a term used to describe the elite quartet of Test batsmen, which also includes Kohli.
Michael Vaughan Compares Test Stats of Kohli and Root
In his post on August 30, Michael Vaughan highlighted Root’s exceptional form and career achievements, which have led to him being the leading run-scorer among current Test players. Root has accumulated 12,131 runs in 263 innings at an average of 50.33, including five double centuries. Since 2021, he has been in stellar form, scoring 4,451 runs in 87 innings with 16 centuries and 15 fifties.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who has also made his mark among the elite, has amassed 8,848 runs in 191 innings at an average of 49.15, with 29 centuries and 30 fifties. Since 2021, Kohli has scored 1,530 runs in 44 innings, with two centuries and seven half-centuries.
Michael Vaughan’s post has sparked discussions, with some speculating whether his comments were a subtle critique of Kohli’s Test numbers. As of now, Root is seen as a strong contender to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most Test runs, with Tendulkar’s tally standing at 15,921 runs.
In terms of overall international runs, Kohli leads with 26,942 runs in 533 matches and 80 centuries, while Root has accumulated 19,546 runs in 347 games with 49 centuries. The comparison underscores the remarkable achievements of both players, highlighting their contributions to the sport and sparking a debate among cricket enthusiasts.
