Nothing is more fascinating in cricket than an exhilarating and equal contest between a batsman and a bowler.
Duels between two players at the top of their games always makes for a fascinating rivalry, and cricket has been blessed to witness several of these over the course of its history. From Sachin Tendulkar against Glenn McGrath to Sir Viv Richards versus Jeff Thompson, the sport has seen legendary battles played out across the 22 yards.
However, there are some duels which sound exciting in theory, but shall never materialise. These are between players divided by eras, with their respective playing careers failing to intertwine.
In this series, we play out a few such hypothetical match-ups by closely examining the statistics of the players involved. Below, we pit India superstar Virat Kohli against former Australia leg-spin ace Shane Warne in the ODI format.
VIRAT KOHLI (RIGHT-ARM BAT)
Playing career: 2008-ongoing
ODI innings: 239
Runs: 11867
Average: 59.33
Centuries: 43
Strike-rate: 93.25
Few thought Sachin Tendulkar’s aura as the greatest ODI batsmen of all time would ever be threatened, yet Virat Kohli is making the seemingly implausible look possible.
With a staggering 43 tons and 58 fifties to his name already, the India sensation is well on his way to overhauling Tendulkar’s tally of 49 centuries. A complete master in the art of chasing, Kohli averages more than 96 in successful run chases for India.
A man who initially burst on to the scene as a swashbuckling batsman with a booming cover drive, Kohli has since gone on to perfect the template of scoring hundreds without taking too many undue risks. While he has nearly every shot in his armoury, the right-handed run-scoring machine can race away to a century without playing a stroke in anger.
Key to his ODI template is his supreme dedication to fitness and the ability to sprint like a hare between the wickets. With quick singles and doubles, the India skipper is adept at keeping the scoreboard ticking with a brand of cricket that can very well be termed ‘safe’.
A passionate cricketer who wears his heart on his sleeves, Kohli loves to revel in the heat of battle.
SHANE WARNE (RIGHT-ARM SPIN)
Playing career: 1992-2007
ODI Matches: 194
Wickets: 293
Five-wicket hauls: 1
Average: 25.73
Strike-rate: 36.3
Few cricketers in history have been in the headlines as often as Shane Warne, for his antics both on and off the cricket pitch. Controversy was never too far from the Australian great, however, it was what he could do with a cricket ball in hand that will remain his lasting legacy.
A leg-spinner like no other in history, Warne was box-office material when in full flight. His trademark run-up and poetic bowling action was just the prelude to the theatre that would get under way once his wrist started to do the talking.
Guiling flight, dip and the ability to generate the sharpest of turns made Warne an extraordinaire like no other. That he also possessed a lethal googly and clever flipper only served to heighten his magician-like abilities as a spinner.
Nearly 1,000 international scalps are a testament to Warne’s genius with the ball. An equal parts performer and entertainer, the Aussie would tie down batsmen in knots before setting them for the ultimate dismissal. His ‘ball of the century’ to Mike Gatting in 1993 will forever be enshrined in cricket folklore and is just one among several exploits over the course of a 15-year long career.
Kohli vs Warne
When it comes to Kohli’s ODI numbers, the India batsman has managed to excel against every opposition in varied conditions. He has been particularly effective against Australia, with eight of his 43 ODI tons coming against the five-time world champions.
With an average of nearly 55 against them, it is safe to say that Kohli loves to raise his game against the Aussies. As is the case with most Indian batsmen, the 31-year-old is a good player of spin. His strong wristwork puts him at an advantage against the slower players and that is reflected in his average of 47.68 runs per dismissal against spin.
When it comes to facing right-armed spinners, Kohli’s statistics get even better with his average rising to 52.13 runs per dismissal. It has to be noted, though, that 57 of Kohli’s 200 ODI dismissals have come at the hands of spinners. Forty four of them have been inflicted by right-armed spinners.
While he clearly excels against spin, Kohli does have a habit of throwing his wicket away to slower bowlers when well set. It has been a trend which has been observed with increasing frequency in the last few years, especially against leg-spinners. Eleven of his last 15 ODI dismissals at the hands of spinners have been affected by leg-spinners. Australia’s Adam Zampa alone has accounted for five of them, while New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi has dismissed him thrice.
Shane Warne’s best, on the other hand, came in the Test whites of Australia, although his ODI numbers aren’t too shabby either. The ace spinner was at his best against right-handed batsmen, who account for 225 of his 293 ODI dismissals.
With an average of 22.6 runs per dismissal against right-handers, Warne would, on paper, mark a big threat to Kohli. However, closer examination of his numbers suggest he is not the most prolific against top-order batsmen. He averages over 45 runs per dismissal against opening batsmen, while averaging more than 32 against No3 batsmen.
His struggles against India are all too evident as well, with the Australian averaging more than 56 against the opponents. Warne’s record against Sachin Tendulkar was notoriously poor, with the India legend dominating the duel by an embarrassing margin. In 17 ODI matches between the two greats, Warne only managed to dismiss Tendulkar once at an average of 100 runs per dismissal.
Verdict
Given Warne’s struggles against Tendulkar, he might have found the going equally tough against Kohli. Both are batsmen of similar ilk, although Tendulkar could be more extravagant and attacking in his approach against spinners.
With Kohli’s impressive record against Australia and Warne’s dismal numbers against the Indians, the current No1 ODI batsman in the world should be expected to come out on top in this battle.
Warne’s average against top-order batsmen only tilt the scales further in Kohli’s favour, while the Indian’s record against spin is another factor which goes against the Aussie.
What could work against Kohli in this tussle is his recent vulnerability to leg-spin, particularly to that of Adam Zampa. Warne’s intelligence could aid him in making the most of this laxness from Kohli against spin, though the Indian is still expected to score heavily in most cases.
All the signs point towards Kohli’s direction if he can reign in his habit of playing spin too casually at times.
