Kohli now a peer of ex-peerless Tendulkar

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar was once considered peerless for India. Then current icon Virat Kohli came along.

Virat Kohli of India.

Skipper Virat Kohli struck his 39th ODI ton in India's six-wicket win over Australia at Adelaide. (AAP)

Go on, pick one: Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli?

Tendulkar, the leading runscorer in Test and one-day cricket?

Or Kohli, the man closing in on Tendulkar's feats?

Australia coach Justin Langer would like them both in his team. Who wouldn't?

"Sachin, he was an incredible cricketer," Langer said.

"I used to stand there and watch him, it's like he was meditating the whole time, he was so calm.

"And his record, well, it's peerless isn't it."

Not quite. Kohli is fast becoming a peer of the formerly-peerless Tendulkar.

Kohli has just cracked his 39th century from his 218 one-day internationals; Tendulkar made 49 tons from 463 ODIs.

In one-day cricket, Tendulkar averaged 44.83; Kohli averages 59.76.

In Test cricket, they're near-identical: Tendulkar averaged 53.78, Kohli averages 53.76.

And Langer sees similarity between the feted duo in more than just averages.

"Virat's doing the same thing, he's so calm, he's so competitive, his balance is unbelievable," Langer said.

"For him to be able to play 360 (degrees) around the wicket in Test cricket and any white-ball cricket, his balance is unbelievable.

"He's a great competitor. His concentration is extraordinary - anyone who makes so many runs has incredible powers of concentration, like all the great players do.

"So Sachin and Virat?" Langer left the comparison dangling.

But then tossed into the ODI conversation another Indian great, MS Dhoni.

"He has played 340 (ODI) games and he averages 50 - phwoar," Langer said of Dhoni.

"You reckon he can't concentrate. All-time great player.

"Our guys are in the best seats in the house at the moment playing some of the all-time great players. And they will be better for the experience."


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2 min read

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Source: AAP



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