Mumbai: Australia’s Steve Smith made headlines with his phenomenal performances in the just-concluded Ashes series but former South Africa great Jonty Rhodes rates India captain Virat Kohli above the former Australia skipper. “I enjoy watching Virat Kohli. Steve Smith, with that action and technique, makes the ugliest hundreds I have ever seen but the man just keeps scoring runs,” Jonty Rhodes, who is considered as one of the best fielders of all time, told New Indian Express.
“Someone who likes to watch cricket would want to say ‘Wow! What an amazing shot’ as opposed to ‘Oh! How on earth can he hit that?’ So Virat Kohli right now,” the South Africa legend said.
Playing his first Test series after his one-year ban for the infamous ball tampering scandal, Steve Smith finished as the player of the series in the Ashes, having amassed 774 runs across four matches with a Bradmanesque average of 110.57. Smith scored three centuries, including a double ton, and three half centuries in seven innings, being dismissed under 50 only in his last innings in the series, as Australia retained the Ashes.
Smith also dethroned Virat Kohli on top of the ICC Test rankings, moving up from fourth to the top spot over the course of the series.
Kohli scored two half centuries in India’s last Test series against West Indies. The Indian skipper’s next challenge in the longest format of the game will come when India hosts South Africa for a three-match series in October.
