Virat Kohli is an amazing player, says Steve Smith

With his stellar return to international cricket after the one-year ban following the sandpaper incident, Steven Smith has once again reignited the debate as to who the best batsman in the world is, Virat Kohli or himself? Though it’s unfair to expect Smith to answer the question, the Australian opened up on his admiration for the Indian skipper.


“I admire Virat a lot, he is an amazing player. You look at his record now. Simply incredible. He has done so much for India in cricket. You know the way they play the game now and the sheer passion he has got for Indian cricket,” Smith said during a Facebook live hosted by Sony Sports.

Smith marvelled at Kohli’s much-talked-about transformation in fitness and his appetite to hunt down chases in ODIs. "His body seems to have transformed over time and he looks so fit and powerful. The one thing I admire about him is the way he chases in white-ball cricket. You look at his average in winning chases in ODIs and it is simply phenomenal," Smith added.

Smith, who missed the last Test series against India Down Under, will have the chance to help Australia avenge the loss they suffered in the 2018-19 season when Kohli and his team return for a four-match series at the end of this year. The first Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane, a venue where Australia have been unbeaten in 31 Tests from 1988. But Smith downplayed any apparent advantage the Aussies would have with the Gabba opener and the day-night Test up next in Adelaide.

“Tough to say. Our record at the Gabba has been good. It’s a bit of a fortress. I guess we wanted to play our first Test there for a long time but I am not sure (about the advantage). India played pretty well in the day-night game they played in Kolkata. So it’s a different game. But they have certainly got the batters to stand up to things when things get tough. And their bowlers have quality. We have played a few more pink-ball Tests than India. That might be a slight advantage but they are also world-class players," said Smith, who scored 769 runs including four centuries in the 2014-15 home series against India.

Smith, the fastest to 7000 runs in Tests in 126 innings, also threw light on his unorthodox but effective batting technique which sometimes seems to unsettle the bowlers. "I think it (the exaggerated movements) probably happens more when I'm in my bubble… concentrating hard, focused and determined. At times it can get into the bowler’s head. That’s a sort of battle won in a way. I don’t try to do that. It just happens," said Smith.