Aakash Chopra Talks About AB de Villiers' comment on Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar (Source: AFP, Crex)
The debate regarding who is the better Test batter between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli once again gained attention after former South African star cricketer AB de Villiers gave his opinion on their performances in overseas conditions recently.
It is important to note that these comments sparked plenty of discussion, and former India batter and commentator Aakash Chopra also shared his opinion on this while speaking to CREX.
Earlier, AB de Villiers praised Sachin Tendulkar for setting an example for the Indian batters and making them believe that they could succeed in alien conditions outside the subcontinent.
However, he felt Virat Kohli elevated that bar and became an even more impactful batter on bouncy and seaming pitches outside India.
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Aakash Chopra picks Tendulkar over Kohli, counters AB de Villiers
Aakash Chopra offered a contrasting perspective to De Villiers when asked to choose between Tendulkar and Kohli, particularly in overseas Test cricket.
Chopra first made it clear that everyone is entitled to their opinion and that he has great respect for De Villiers. However, he believed the conditions and era in which Tendulkar played should be considered before making a direct comparison.
According to Chopra, the 1990s were one of the toughest periods for Test batters. During that decade, most major teams had two or three match-winning bowlers, while pitches were often prepared to produce results.
"Firstly, everybody is entitled to their opinion. And I actually respect AB de Villiers a lot. The 1990s were the second most difficult era for Test batters because every team had at least 2-3 match-winning bowlers, and result-oriented pitches were made everywhere. And Sachin Tendulkar ruled as a batter in that decade."
"It's also worth mentioning that Tendulkar didn't have a great supporting cast around him in that decade. India were a weak side back then, unlike the current era. The Indian batting used to revolve around him."
"Having said that, we should be proud of both Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. But as far as the comparison is concerned, I believe Sachin Tendulkar, even in the overseas conditions, was cut above the rest. So, I feel he is ahead of Virat in this regard and, in fact, Kohli will also agree with my opinion." Aakash Chopra said on CREX.
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Is Sachin Tendulkar Actually Better Than Virat Kohli In Tests?
Firstly, looking at the stats, Tendulkar finished his career with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests at an average of 53.78, including 51 centuries. Kohli finished his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, averaging 46.85, with 30 centuries.
These numbers give Tendulkar a clear advantage in career longevity, average and centuries. However, the fact that cannot be ignored is that Virat Kohli's played in a different era and had a particularly dominant peak between 2016 and 2019.
The overseas numbers, however, strengthen Sachin Tendulkar's case.
Tendulkar's average was 56.56 in away Tests in the 1990s, while Kohli's away average was around 41.13.
In SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia), Tendulkar scored more than 5,300 runs in his career at an average of approximately 51.30. Kohli's average in those countries was around 41.5.
Sachin Tendulkar's record becomes even more impressive when his era is considered. So, Aakash Chopra is right in his assessment, and Tendulkar was indeed better than Kohli as far as performance in overseas Tests is concerned.
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