Kohli Test Average

[honestbharani]

Kohli is the batting equivalent of Waqar , crazy sustained peak where you can argue they are among top 5 batter/bowler off all time for those 5-6 years and being pretty average/above average in other periods

That is a very good comparison.

 

[honestbharani]

Tbf, I do strongly believe players of his calibre deserve a longer rope than others, so its not just brand, there's cricketing reasons to want to persist with someone who has had a pretty great career. But that rope should've ran out a while back anyway.

To be fair, he showed signs of return to form late 2022 - Jan 2024. This year has been the real let down for me.

 

[social]

That is a very good comparison.

Waqar at least had the excuse of back injuries robbing him of extreme pace

Virat’s technique has simply deteriorated

 

[subshakerz]

Waqar at least had the excuse of back injuries robbing him of extreme pace

Virat’s technique has simply deteriorated

Virats hunger for test runs disappeared earlier IMO.

 

[social]

Virats hunger for test runs disappeared earlier IMO.

People’s priorities change & it doesn’t take much to lose that edge

 

[honestbharani]

Waqar at least had the excuse of back injuries robbing him of extreme pace

Virat’s technique has simply deteriorated

Yeah but career returns wise, it is a great comparison.

 

[Ali TT]

It's quite remarkable that Kohli has averaged 30 over 40+ tests without his position being under threat. Only true ATGs like Zak Crawley can manage that.

 

[Coronis]

It's quite remarkable that Kohli has averaged 30 over 40+ tests without his position being under threat. Only true ATGs like Zak Crawley can manage that.

Braithwaite probably the best at it tbh.

 

[Ali TT]

Braithwaite probably the best at it tbh.

With his average comfortable in the mid-33s, he's far more run-of-the-mill than Zak and Virat.

 

[BazBall21]

Waqar was never this bad

 

[kevinw]

Braithwaite probably the best at it tbh.

Probably still has the best average amongst WI bats. Most of them are complete garbage.

 

[Chin Music]

Waqar was never this bad

Yeah, I don't recall his form completely dropping off a cliff. It is true that he was never the same devastating bowler that he was up until the mid 90s but smart enough and skilled enough to still take wickets. Even if you filter stats from the start of 1997, when he had clearly lost pace, he averaged 27 until the end of his career. Still had a strike rate of less than 50 which is quite something for that era although part of that was bashing up Bangladesh and Zimbabwe/ Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

 

[Darwin Award]

I think he has a chance of a good series in England, 300+ runs, a ton and a 40+ average.

... So at best his average will stay the same.

Not sure of to think of that.

Wouldn't you want him to average more to justify his place?

 

[Pavel]

... So at best his average will stay the same.

Not sure of to think of that.

His average this decade is 30, last year he averaged 23, so it IS an improvement.

Wouldn't you want him to average more to justify his place?

Realistically he's not going to average 60, I think averaging 40-45 is fine as only Jaiswal averaged over 40 for India last year.

 

[centurymaker]

I think if he has an okay serious in England, he will roll on and play for another season or two which would eventually get his avg below 45.

However if he has a poor series, then he might be asked to retire and thus finish in the 45s.

 

[centurymaker]

Laxman 45.97

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah, I don't recall his form completely dropping off a cliff. It is true that he was never the same devastating bowler that he was up until the mid 90s but smart enough and skilled enough to still take wickets. Even if you filter stats from the start of 1997, when he had clearly lost pace, he averaged 27 until the end of his career. Still had a strike rate of less than 50 which is quite something for that era although part of that was bashing up Bangladesh and Zimbabwe/ Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Waqar had bad series but somehow managed to make him good enough by improving his new ball skills.

 

[subshakerz]

This is embarassing. I laugh when one of the commentators called him a big fish.

 

[Xuhaib]

Waqar really dropped off a cliff in quality after his 98 back operation and only Bangladesh bashing kept his stats decent . Kohli comes across much worse because India refuses to drop him although he has deserved the chop for a while now.

 

[subshakerz]

Waqar really dropped off a cliff in quality after his 98 back operation and only Bangladesh bashing kept his stats decent . Kohli comes across much worse because India refuses to drop him although he has deserved the chop for a while now.

Waqar in ODIs was fairly effective until the end.

His back operation was in 1995.