Pujara /Kohli /Rahane /Rahul - who is best test batsman of India?

[Trichromatic]

Kohli

Matches: 59

Runs: 4616

Avg: 49.63

100s: 17

 

Pujara

Matches: 50

Runs: 4099

Avg: 53.23

100s: 13

 

Rahane

Matches: 39

Runs: 2792

Avg: 48.13

100s: 9

 

KL Rahul

Matches: 18

Runs: 1257

Avg: 4489

100s: 4

 

There is hardly much doubt that Pujara is best Asian batsman in Asia and Rahane is best Asian batsman outside Asia atm. Kohli is good overall, but has failed consistently in difficult conditons. But overall who is best?

[express bowling]

Rahane is perhaps our best test batsman outside Asia ... but average in Asia.

 

Pujara is our best test batsman in Asia ... but averages just 29 outside Asia.

 

Kohli is  very good both in Asia and outside Asia, except in England.

 

 

So,  as of today,  I consider Kohli to be our best batsman for his all-round game in tests.  He also has the ability to play those really big knocks in recent times, showcased by 4 double-centuries in the last 12 months.

 

Rahul has the potential to be our best test batsman as he can play both on fast tracks and spinning tracks.  He has done well in both India and Australia. The next round of foreign tours may see him establish him as the best.  Just 19 tests is not enough to judge him.

 

This opinion may change after a few years.

Edited August 11, 2017 by express bowling

[kubrickian]

Too early to call. Probably Kohli is ahead of the pack right now but over time, we shall know who is the best. 

[Trichromatic]

8 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Rahane is perhaps our best test batsman outside Asia ... but average in Asia.

He averages 43 in Asia. 

[express bowling]

1 minute ago, Trichromatic said:

He averages 43 in Asia. 

 

He averages less than 40 in India where we play around 50% of our tests.

 

More importantly, he is usually not comfortable playing on slow tracks.

 

 

[gakgupta]

rahul is the next best thing in the world cricket....

 

how many times he has thrown away his wicket.....his avg would have been easily more that 50+

[Trichromatic]

28 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

He averages less than 40 in India where we play around 50% of our tests.

 

More importantly, he is usually not comfortable playing on slow tracks.

 

 

He performed better than Kohli in 2 of our toughest pitches at home - SA series and Australia series.

 

SA series

Rahane: 266 runs at avg of 53

Kohli: 200 runs at avg of 33

Pujara: 202 runs at 33

 

Australia series

Rahane: 198 runs at avg of 33

Kohli: 46 runs at avg of 9

Pujara: 405 runs at 57

 

And our series away where team was being bundled out cheaply

Eng series

Rahane: 299 runst at 33

Pujara: 222 runs at 22

Kohli: 134 runs at 13

 

Series where Rahane failed

Eng in India

Kohli: 655 runs at 109

Pujara: 401 runs at 50

Rahane: 63 runs at 12

 

NZ in India

Kohli: 309 runs at 51

Pujara: 373 runs at 74

Rahane: 347 runs at 69

 

On slow pithces outside subcontinent

Indian in WI

Kohli: 251 runs at avg of 62

Rahane: 243 runs at avg of 121

Pujara: 62 runs at avg of 31

 

So basically Kohli outperformed Rahane only in one series against England and Rahane failed on flat tracks. Apart from that he has outperformed Kohli in every series on flat pitches, slow pitches and turners in India. Kohli has 2 failures in India while Rahane has only 1. 

 

 

[Ankit_sharma03]

As of now kohli 

[Forever Indian]

Rahane Hands Down!

[express bowling]

1 hour ago, Trichromatic said:

He performed better than Kohli in 2 of our toughest pitches at home - SA series and Australia series.

 

SA series

Rahane: 266 runs at avg of 53

Kohli: 200 runs at avg of 33

Pujara: 202 runs at 33

 

In this series, both Kohli and Rahane failed in the first 3 tests and did well on the flat track in the last match.

 

Rahane scored 2 centuries while Kohli scored a 80+ and a 40 +.

 

It was out-performance on a flat track and not on slow tracks.

 

 

Quote

 

Australia series

Rahane: 198 runs at avg of 33

Kohli: 46 runs at avg of 9

Pujara: 405 runs at 57

 

Pujara is our best batsman by a distance while playing in n India.... so his stats are not relevant to this discussion.

 

Rahane did not do well on the slow tracks in this series.

 

Performed on the fast and bouncy Dharamsala track to boost his average.

 

Quote

 

And our series away where team was being bundled out cheaply

Eng series

Rahane: 299 runst at 33

Pujara: 222 runs at 22

Kohli: 134 runs at 13

This series is again not relevant to this discussion as I said in my first post that Rahane is our best test batsman out of Asia and Kohli failed in England.

 

We are discussing Rahane's ability to play on slow tracks.

 

Quote

 

On slow pithces outside subcontinent

Indian in WI

Kohli: 251 runs at avg of 62

Rahane: 243 runs at avg of 121

Pujara: 62 runs at avg of 31

 

 

The pitches in WI are not that slow, like some Asian pitches.  Infact, the first test in Antigua was aiding seamers and Shami and Umesh picked up 5 wickets each. The 3rd test in Gros Islet was aiding swing and Bhuvi picked a fifer.  

 

 

p.s --  Are you happy with the way Rahane plays on slow tracks  ?

Edited August 11, 2017 by express bowling

[Pollack]

12 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

In this series, both Kohli and Rahane failed in the first 3 tests and did well on the flat track in the last match.

 

Rahane scored 2 centuries while Kohli scored a 80+ and a 40 +.

 

It was out-performance on a flat track and not on slow tracks.

 

 

 

Pujara is our best batsman by a distance while playing in n India.... so his stats are not relevant to this discussion.

 

Rahane did not do well on the slow tracks in this series.

 

Performed on the fast and bouncy Dharamsala track to boost his average.

 

This series is again not relevant to this discussion as I said in my first post that Rahane is our best test batsman out of Asia and Kohli failed in England.

 

We are discussing Rahane's ability to play on slow tracks.

 

 

The pitches in WI are not that slow, like some Asian pitches.  Infact, the first test in Antigua was aiding seamers and Shami and Umesh picked up 5 wickets each. The 3rd test in Gros Islet was aiding swing anf Bhuvi picked a fifer.  

 

 

p.s --  Are you happy with the way Rahane plays on slow tracks  ?

What do you mean by slow tracks? Asking because I don't find Rahane to be bad on slow tracks. He has a bit of an issue on turning tracks: slow or fast. 

Rahane can play on all tracks. Similarly he can have issue on any track depending on his current temporary weakness. Its all in his head. When he is low on confidence depending on series going on and pitches being served one might be tempted to categoruse his weakness bases on that series and yet when he will get similar pitch he will do OK when he is not struggling in form. Though one thing for sure he likes pace on to the bat. This is his comfort zone. But barring his game against spin don't see any other weakness as such.

[Pollack]

In India or Asia :

1) Pujara ( beast :) )

2) Kohli and Rahane (actually Idk)

3)Rahul (potential to be no.1)

 

Outside:

1) Rahane

2) Rahul (Prediction only)

3) M Vijay

4) Kohli

 

[express bowling]

26 minutes ago, Pollack said:

What do you mean by slow tracks? Asking because I don't find Rahane to be bad on slow tracks. He has a bit of an issue on turning tracks: slow or fast. 

Rahane can play on all tracks. Similarly he can have issue on any track depending on his current temporary weakness. Its all in his head. When he is low on confidence depending on series going on and pitches being served one might be tempted to categoruse his weakness bases on that series and yet when he will get similar pitch he will do OK when he is not struggling in form. Though one thing for sure he likes pace on to the bat. This is his comfort zone. But barring his game against spin don't see any other weakness as such.

 

I get the feeling that Rahane does not want to bat on tracks where the ball is not coming on to the bat.  He looks uncomfortable and edgy.   Maybe it is all in the mind as you said but his footwork is often not decisive while playing spinners on slow tracks.

[express bowling]

23 minutes ago, Pollack said:

In India or Asia :

1) Pujara ( beast :) )

2) Kohli and Rahane (actually Idk)

3)Rahul (potential to be no.1)

 

Outside:

1) Rahane

2) Rahul (Prediction only)

3) M Vijay

4) Kohli

 

 

 

Vijay averages just 33 outside Asia.... proving that he is too inconsistent.  Consistency is important to be ranked No.2 among our experienced batters.

[Trichromatic]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

 

In this series, both Kohli and Rahane failed in the first 3 tests and did well on the flat track in the last match.

 

Rahane scored 2 centuries while Kohli scored a 80+ and a 40 +.

 

It was out-performance on a flat track and not on slow tracks.

 

 

 

Pujara is our best batsman by a distance while playing in n India.... so his stats are not relevant to this discussion.

 

Rahane did not do well on the slow tracks in this series.

 

Performed on the fast and bouncy Dharamsala track to boost his average.

 

This series is again not relevant to this discussion as I said in my first post that Rahane is our best test batsman out of Asia and Kohli failed in England.

 

We are discussing Rahane's ability to play on slow tracks.

 

 

The pitches in WI are not that slow, like some Asian pitches.  Infact, the first test in Antigua was aiding seamers and Shami and Umesh picked up 5 wickets each. The 3rd test in Gros Islet was aiding swing and Bhuvi picked a fifer.  

 

 

p.s --  Are you happy with the way Rahane plays on slow tracks  ?

Not happy so far, but is Kohli better than him on slow and spinning tracks considering that England series is only 1 where Kohli has outperformed him and while Kohli has failed twice in home series.

[jusarrived]

Virat at this point , closely followed by Rahane .

 

Rahul should be in Top2 overall in few years .

[rtmohanlal]

In tests only it is Rahane. He has the most rounded avg:s in all non sun continent countries. In subcontinent, he is ok too.Kohli

needs to improve his ENG record vastly. Pujara as of now is  only avg: in non subcontinent.Rahul  has long way to go. Vijay has  far less an over all avg:.

[kubrickian]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

 

 

Vijay averages just 33 outside Asia.... proving that he is too inconsistent.  Consistency is important to be ranked No.2 among our experienced batters.

Vijay is an opener though. He has played some innings where he has scored low but he has managed to see off testing opening spells in foreign conditions which made it easier for batsmen to follow. A batsman who could do that is worth his weight in gold.

The innings at Lord's against Anderson, Broad etc and at Joburg against Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Kallis etc comes to mind which set up things nicely for the rest of the innings.

[express bowling]

1 hour ago, Trichromatic said:

Not happy so far, but is Kohli better than him on slow and spinning tracks considering that England series is only 1 where Kohli has outperformed him and while Kohli has failed twice in home series.

 

Kohli is not as good a player of spin as Tendulkar, Pujara, Laxman or Dravid.  That is very true.

 

But he does average 55.4  in India after all of 29 tests and 52.5  in Asia, which shows that he has succeeded often enough on slower surfaces.

 

Rahane averages 39.7  in India and 43.5  in Asia, which shows that he is less consistent in India and Asia overall.

 

Ultimately, I think Rahane will become better in India, Kohli will become better in England and Pujara will perform better out of Asia.  All of them have the temperament to improve and iron their flaws.

[express bowling]

20 minutes ago, kubrickian said:

Vijay is an opener though. He has played some innings where he has scored low but he has managed to see off testing opening spells in foreign conditions which made it easier for batsmen to follow. A batsman who could do that is worth his weight in gold.

The innings at Lord's against Anderson, Broad etc and at Joburg against Steyn, Morkel, Philander, Kallis etc comes to mind which set up things nicely for the rest of the innings.

 

Vijay's ability to play good quality bowling is unmistakable, which is why it is a bit sad that he has not been more consistent.

 

Openers have had good averages over the years and a batter of Vijay's calibre could have scored more runs.