Virat Kohli or Joe Root: Who will perform better?
What's the story
England and India are gearing up for a 5-match Test series, starting from August 1.
The prime focus will be on skippers Joe Root and Virat Kohli.
Both these players were in fine nick in the ODI series and the idea will be to carry the form in the longer format.
Here we look at the impact these two could have.
Big tons
Kohli has the temperament to score big hundreds
Kohli leads Root when it comes to scoring tons in Tests.
In the last two years, Indian skipper has made a significant move compared to his English counterpart.
Kohli has got hundreds in South Africa and Australia and has excelled at home in this period.
On the other hand, Root has not been able to score even a single ton in last 9 Tests.
Consistency
Both are consistent in this format
Both batsmen are consistent in this format and are the backbones of their teams.
Root has been the highest scorer for England since the Ashes 2017-18, but it's the hundreds which have been elusive.
As expected, Kohli is India's top scorer during this phase.
Going into the Tests, a lot will depend on how they stabilize the middle-order.
Duo
Both players will look to start well
Both these players are a part of the famed 'Fab four' and are real assets of their teams.
There is no doubt that their respective sides will depend on them to do the bulk of scoring.
Both Kohli and Root average 50+ in Tests and a vital start at Birmingham could determine the whole series.
The bowlers will need to be effective against them.
Test
Root and Kohli to be tested in the series
There is no doubt that Kohli, as a batsman and a skipper, is way ahead than Root.
But the Indian skipper will be tested severely by English bowlers in swinging conditions.
Root also faces a test of character.
He will try to not have a lapse of concentration, which has robbed him of pivotal runs.
In short, it will be an epic battle.
Personal
Pressure will be on Root
Kohli has 21 tons to Root's 13. It says a lot about the conversion rate. If England are to outwit India, then Root has to have a special series. The hosts have struggled in recent times. Given the background, we expect Kohli to outperform Root.